


The Sun in Your Eyes.

by TheEmpressAR



Series: The Sun In Your Eyes [1]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: #TeenLawRusso, Boys Kissing, Day At The Beach, M/M, Semi-Public Sex, boys flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-10 00:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15279171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEmpressAR/pseuds/TheEmpressAR
Summary: A Day at the Beach!!  These boys sure do love soaking up the rays!  Daniel meets the members of the Cobra Kai in a different light.Disclaimer:  I don't own not a doggone thing.  No characters, no show...no nuthin!  Credit goes to the creators!Song Lyrics:  Somewhere Only We Know - Keane





	1. Somewhere Only We Know

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT is this??? I'm BACK with another one!!! Sings Queen's: Don't Stop Me Now!!! Cause I'm havin' a GOOD TIME!!!
> 
> Enjoy this BEACH TIME FUN with our FAVORITE Teen Pair!!! I am gonna throw on my sunshades and watch from my beach chair...mmm hmmm <3

 

*These eyes though...look at that little blink...OH MY GAAAHH!!!!

 

 

 

And if you have a minute why don’t we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know

This could be the end of everything

So why don’t we go…

Somewhere only we know.

_Daniel didn’t realize he had been staring.  He stood in front of the group of boys.  An awkward smile playing on his lips.  His shining brown eyes flashing at one member of the group.  It took at least a minute before he realized that he was gawking and played it off, grabbing his soccer ball and walking away._

_“Did you see the way that kid was staring at you, Johnny?”  Tommy, one of the members of the small group said as he poked the older, blonde, brooding boy._

_Johnny, nonchalantly looked up and shielded his eyes from the sun.  He stared off down the beach where the dark-skinned boy had retreated and shook his head.  “What about it?”_

_“I dunno man…looked to me like he wanted_ something _.”_

_Johnny shoved the boy on the arm.  “That’s fucking sick man...”  He laughed and lay back on his towel.  He was wearing cut-off blue jeans and not much else.  His bronzed skin was tanning nicely in the mid-day sun.  Sweat beading up on his skin, he chanced another glance down the beach.  The guy hadn’t gone very far…just casually walking along the shore, studying his footprints in the sand._

_“I think he wants you to go talk to him.”  Jimmy, another member of the group spoke softly._

_“Yeah…well you can think all you want…What would I have to say to a skinny little dweeb like him, anyway?”_

_“He’s been here all day…just like we have.”  Bobby Brown piped in.  “I think I’ve seen him around school…he’s a new kid.”_

_“How could you not notice him?  He’s the brownest thing on campus.”  Tommy said, laughing._

_“Yeah…I’ve seen him.  So what?”_

_“I think maybe he wants to be friends…”  Dutch, the most aggressive one of the bunch, said in a mocking tone.  “He’s pretty much been eye-balling you this whole time…what a loser.”_

_They all laughed at that.  Johnny looked again watching as the boy, who had heard their laughter, turned back to look at them.  He watched Dutch wave cheekily in his direction.  He shook his head, dismissing them and continued to slowly move down the shoreline._

\-------

The beach was crowded with groups of people, it was a popular spot to be in the summertime.  Mostly made up of teens out to improve their tans and their love lives and the occasional elderly couple walking hand in hand, remembering what it was like to be young and wild and free. 

Daniel LaRusso walked through the clusters of kids, by himself.  He had just moved to town a month earlier and hadn’t really gotten to know anyone.  He had seen a couple of guys his age around his apartment complex, but no real conversations had started up.  His mother was becoming worried about him being alone for long and she suggested that he go find out where the kids from his school hung out and start making friends.

Daniel had listened at school to the other students talking about the beach and what they were going to be doing that summer.  He had started school at the tail end of the year and it had been almost time for summer break.  He knew he would not be able to make any real friends, probably, until the following year.  Another thing he wanted to thank his mother for.  For the countless time, he wished they would have stayed in New Jersey where he had come from.  He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the California natives, his skin two or three shades darker than the tannest, mostly white bodies in the city.  He couldn’t even compare himself to the Hispanics that were plentiful as well.  He was born and bred Italian and he felt that no one could relate.

Now deep into summertime, Daniel had decided he had enough of being in his seclusion and wanted to “give this place a chance” as his mother had often begged and pleaded with him.

“It doesn’t hurt to have a look around.”  He said talking to his best friend, as of late…which happened to be the voice in his head. 

He was dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt and cut-off jeans.  He had brought along his soccer ball with him, in case any games were started up on the beach…he could try to ease his way into one, show off his skills. He had carried it in a mesh bag along with a towel and a thermos of water.  His mom had given him about $5.00 for lunch and drinks.  

When he had arrived he had seen many kids he had recognized from class.  It was too late to remember most of their names, but a lot of the faces seemed familiar.  He had rode his old bicycle the whole way there and deposited it near a sand dune.  He didn’t think anyone would want the thing and didn’t worry about it being stolen.  Most of the people out here looked like they came from money.  He wondered again, how his mother was able to get him into the same school as all these rich kids. 

There were a lot of pretty girls out that day.  Daniel had never seen so many blonde and blue-eyed dolls.  They were all cookie-cutter images of each other.  In every one of them he caught the curled-lip sneer of privilege.  He flashed a few his patented, “innocent and adorable boy” faces at them, knowing that his childlike features usually got him the desired reactions of “Awws” and smiles in return. 

He watched as they gave him the once over and turn their noses up, turning back to laugh with the rest of the girls in the group.  He didn’t get it.  He had had a lot of luck with the ladies in Jersey.  They had all fallen for his charms.  He just felt like a real fish out of water here.  He shrugged and walked away. He decided just to make his way up the beach and find a spot to park his things. 

He had been sitting in the sand, on a surprisingly empty stretch of beach, staring out at the ocean when the group of boys had pulled up alongside of him, all crammed into a red convertible.  Their music was blaring loudly.  He looked over at them with a slight frown.  They had interrupted his introspection, but it was a welcomed distraction.  He was almost ready to call it a day, before it had even got started. 

The boys all piled out of the car, laughing and shoving each other, being loud and obnoxious.  A couple had grabbed coolers and beach chairs, a couple more grabbing towels.  The guy behind the wheel watched them all for a minute before cutting the engine and getting out of the car.

Daniel had remembered the boy almost immediately.  He had seen him in class a number of times.  He swallowed hard as he instantly fought with himself for the umpteenth time.  ‘He’s a dude…what’s wrong with you?’  He was compelling.  There was no other big word to describe it.  Daniel was compelled to stare at him. 

The boy, whom he had taken the time to remember his name, Johnny Lawrence came around the side of the car.  Daniel watched him as he watched his friends.  He seemed to only marginally tolerate their antics and cut-ups.  He had an impatient attitude about him.  He barked for the others to shut up and get all the crap to the beach.  They listened to his commands and Daniel was impressed. 

He was watching them out of the corner of his eye.  He had thought he saw for the briefest of moments, that Johnny had turned and looked directly at him, sitting alone on his towel.  His long legs outstretched, toes digging in the sand, he tried not to inhale sharply.  Johnny blinked and glanced away.  The only sign of acknowledgement. 

Daniel watched them set up their stuff on a patch of sand that was near the dunes and the road beyond.  He tried to act like he wasn’t paying attention, but found that he was watching them more than minding his own business. 

“And…Brenda…you know…with the boobs out to here…”  Tommy was demonstrating to Dutch and Jimmy who were shaking their heads laughing.  “She promised me a feel before the summer break.”

“Yeah and how did that turn out…dumbass?”

Tommy hadn’t expected to finish his anecdote kind of mumbled something and looked off. 

“Tell them how you got a sock in the eye for even getting close enough for a good look.”  Johnny laughed.  He proceeded to take of his black t-shirt. 

He was out to get some rays and the feel of material on his skin itched him.  He preferred to be shirtless whenever he could afford to do so.  He loved coming to the beach at any opportunity.  He knew what he was blessed with and he didn’t mind showing it off, not one bit.  His golden crucifix glinted off of the rays of the sun and settled back nicely against the dip in his neck. 

They all laughed and Tommy rubbed his eye in remembrance the bruising almost completely gone away. 

Daniel laughed in spite of himself.  He was enjoying watching all these guys goof and kid around with each other.  He wondered if he had a chance to be their friends.  He didn’t know how to approach them without looking like an idiot, so he decided he would try and practice some of his soccer moves.  He had to be ready for when school started up again.  He wanted to be on the team.   He got up and grabbed his ball and moved out into their line of sight.  Maybe they’d like to kick the ball around a little with him too. 

“Looks like we got company over there…”  Bobby said motioning towards Daniel who was practicing his knee kicks, bouncing the ball from one knee to the other effortlessly. 

“Yeah I saw him when we drove up.  I wonder if he knows this beach is reserved for us.”  Tommy said cracking his knuckles.  He didn’t care for newcomers. 

“I dunno…but if he keeps up with that cocky soccer shit, we’re gonna have to go over there and introduce ourselves.”  Dutch said grabbing a beer and chugging it. 

They watched Daniel move around the patch of sand for a while longer, until a freak kick sent his soccer ball sailing over into the middle of their bunch getting sand over everything and hitting Jimmy in the knee.  “Hey!!  What the hell!!”  Most of the group became annoyed, dusting sand off their skin.

Daniel hurried over, apologetic.  “Hey guys…I’m sorry about that.  The ball just got away from me...”  He stopped talking.  He was staring down, his eyes drawn to the almost platinum blonde head of hair that was near blinding in the sunlight.  He hadn’t realized he had been more gaping than speaking.  Johnny had looked up at him for the first time and Daniel was treated to an even more dazzling set of blue eyes than he had ever laid eyes on.  He found himself wanting to write sonnets in his honor.  He shook his head at that notion, and laughed nervously. 

“Well?”  Dutch said harshly.

“Oh yeah…” Daniel said snapping out of it.  “Uh…my name’s Daniel LaRusso…I just started school last month…so uh…yeah I was just wondering what you guys did for fun around here?”

“Don’t know, don’t care…” Dutch said rudely throwing his ball back him.  The rest of the group broke up in laughter and Daniel took the hint. 

“That’s cool…no big deal…I’ll catch you guys around then.” 

“Later, Danielle…”

Daniel looked back and frowned at Dutch.  He did not like him at all.  He looked to Johnny for perhaps an intervention, but Johnny just stared back at him, bored. 

Another hour later and the boys had decided that it would be a good time to run into the ocean for a dip.  More clothes were shed as they had got almost scandalously naked and ran out toward the water.  They were true specimens of beauty.  Bronzed skin shown in the sun and they took turns diving into the waves coming up with slicked back wet hair, shaking it so it fell across their foreheads. 

Daniel had been studying the wet sand looking for coquina shells as they burrowed themselves every time a wave crashed upon the shore.  He had picked up a few admiring their pretty colors and tossing them back into the ocean.  He noticed that the guys had left their spot but didn’t pay much more attention to them until he saw them splashing around in the ocean.  Something in his chest thudded to a full stop.

Again, he waged an internal struggle within, admonishing himself that he should not be looking at those boys…one of them most in particular…in that way.  God he was amazing.  He bit his bottom lip and let it slide from under his teeth, slowly.  His body was toned in all the right places.  It made him loathe the thought of his own scrawny physique.  He looked down at his skinny body and then back up to Johnny’s.  He blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the sunlight away from his vision and focused on the view. 

They all had begun playing a game of water Frisbee.  Bobby had brought it in with him and they began tossing it around.  Loud and raucous they splashed around in the ocean, going under and coming back up.  Daniel found himself anticipating every time that Johnny went under.  He held his breath until he resurfaced, needing to see the water cascading off of his skin.  He swallowed repeatedly.  How did he not know he looked as good as he did?  How could he not?

“Your girlfriend is watching you again…”  Tommy said splashing water at Johnny who had been ducking another wave. 

“Knock it off…”

“I’ll bet you 20 bucks you won’t go over there and start something up with him.  Get his panties twisted.”

“You’re a douche…you know that right.”

“Clearly he’s into you.”

They had started walking back up to the beach.  They decided they were going to walk over to the burger joint across the street.  It was around mid-afternoon and they were starving. 

“I’ve got another 20 to go with that…”  Bobby said laughing and high-fiving Tommy. 

“You guys are really something.”  Johnny said grabbing his towel and began toweling off, running it down his chest and legs. 

“You’re gonna make him come in his pants, you keep that up.”  Dutch said nodding at Daniel who had also returned back to his spot but had frozen, clenching and unclenching his fists.  He wasn’t making it subtle at all.  He had to force himself to look away and start collecting his things. 

“Come on, assholes.  I’m not gonna warn you again.  Let’s go get something to eat.”  Johnny said his eyes lingering on Daniel’s for more than a few seconds this time.  He was trying to ignore what they were saying, but it was looking like they were more right than wrong. 

\------

Daniel had not intended to follow them across the street.  He saw them walk off but he didn’t catch which direction they had gone.  By the time he had gotten his stuff and his thoughts together, he had looked up and they were gone.  He looked up and down the beach with no sight of them.  Everything was still left behind, so he knew they would at least be coming back for things eventually.  He was starting to get famished.  He had been out in the sun too long and it was starting to take its toll on him.  Black dots were starting to swim in front of his vision.  He needed to stay hydrated.  He had already drank the thermos of water his mom had packed for him, so he glanced across the street and saw a burger joint in his line of sight.  “Perfect.”  He could go for a nice big juicy hamburger and french fries and a coke.  Daniel trudged through the sand to the road and the restaurant beyond.

“Check a right, Johnny…” Tommy said laughing around a mouth full of hamburger. 

They were all sitting at a booth in the back sucking down sodas and chomping on their hamburgers.  Food was passed around everywhere in a communal fashion, some guys grabbing thick steak fries and dipping it in other’s ketchup.  Johnny had been preoccupied with thoughts about what the others had been teasing him about before they entered the restaurant.  He hated to think it but there was something appealing about the mocha-skinned boy that they had left on the beach.  He was hoping that when they went back he would by some chance still be there waiting on them.  It was a long shot, but he didn’t really mind that his presence was invading their territory. 

Johnny looked up to see his lanky frame standing in the restaurant.  There was an immediate pull to his groin that left him confused by his reaction.  He hadn’t expected to see him again…and when he did…he hated to say he was relieved.  They locked eyes from across the room and Johnny took the opportunity to languidly smirk in his direction.   He watched as that LaRusso kid’s Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly in his throat.  He could see it was affecting him. 

Daniel drug his eyes away from the table in the back.  He ran a hand through his windblown hair, putting it back into place.  He was hot and sweaty with sweat drenching the neckline of his t-shirt.  He went over to the counter to place an order for a hamburger, fries and coke.  He stood trying to look everywhere but at the table in the back. 

“Johnny…you gotta do something about that…” Bobby said smiling hard once he learned that Daniel had followed them in. 

“If you don’t I will.”  Dutch said pounding his fist into his hand.  “This little bitch is starting to piss me off.”

“C’mon Dutch…lighten up…let Johnny have some fun.” 

Johnny gave them all threatening looks.  “You guys are full of shit.  He’s here just to get something to eat…this is the only place in the area.  Of course, he’d be here.”  He found it odd to be coming to the defense of someone he didn’t know.

Daniel heard hushed whispers and laughter coming from the table and tried his best to ignore them.  He knew by now they were talking about him and not in a good way.  He was just going to eat and go home.  He was going to tell his mom he wanted to leave again.  The people here were not the friendly type.  If this is what he had to look forward to…he’d rather not.

“Hey…LaRusso, right?”

His ‘woe-is-me’ thoughts were interrupted and it felt like a block of cement had inserted itself into his brain.  He slowly turned to face the voice that was addressing him.  He had taken a big bite of hamburger, the juices and a dab of ketchup dripping at the side of his lips. 

He stood there, dressed in his cut off shorts, still shirtless. Daniel had to look up…way up to meet his eyes.  He chewed slowly and swallowed. 

“Yeah…”

“Yeah…I just wanted to you know…apologize for those dicks with legs over there.” Johnny said a hitch in his breath as he looked down at the guy whose eyes seemed to draw him in and keep him there once he held them.

“Hey…no big deal…really.”

“They’ve had no home training.”  Johnny said throwing scowls back at the table as they continued to make comments just loud enough for them to hear.

“I’m cool.”

“So yeah…they were wondering…I mean…I was wondering if you wanted to come join us after lunch.  We were gonna play some beach volleyball.  You down for that…we need another player.”

“Oh…but I thought…” Daniel said looking back at the group…Dutch in particular who was still looking at him menacingly. 

“I’ll deal with those guys…they won’t give you no more shit.”

“All right…cool…sure I’ll play.”

“Great meet us back over there when you’re done, here…and uh…by the way…you have a bit of….”

“A bit of…oh…”  Johnny had licked his thumb and came over to Daniel and swiped it down the corner of his mouth clearing the ketchup and burger grease.  He smiled and winked at Daniel’s apparent lack of coherent thought.  He had closed his eyes to the touch and his heart began racing.  _‘Play it cool…LaRusso…come on…don’t be a girl!’_

“Y-Yeah…see ya.”

\------

“Pay up…”  Johnny said holding his hand out to the two that had to come clean with their bets. 

They were across the street again setting up the volley ball net.  Bobby and Tommy looked at each other…pissed that they were now out of forty bucks.  Johnny counted his cash and put it in his wallet.  He was smiling at the both of them.  “And that…gentlemen is why you don’t make bets your butts can’t cash.”

They had no hard feelings as they waited around for LaRusso to come back over to the beach.  He arrived about 15 minutes later, none the wiser about what had gone down.  He was smiling again, looking happy to be “accepted” into their group and ready to have a good time at the end of the day.  He wanted to be on Johnny’s team, but they had paired off and he was on the opposite side.  After a while he thought that was a better idea, since they were in front of each other and Johnny was still shirtless. His muscles stretching every time to hit the ball across the net, the way he dove into the sand to block the ball.  Daniel was becoming entranced. 

He started making it a goal to compete with him.  For one scrimmage they had the ball up in the air the longest, batting it back and forth between the other, working hard to try and get the point.  Johnny was amazed that he had to put this kind of effort into keeping up.  LaRusso was a wiry little bastard, he decided as he missed the ball that was spiked over the net, earning Daniel’s side the point. 

“YES!!”  Daniel shouted.  The others clapped him on the back soundly. 

“Good play, Twerp.”  Dutch shouted at him.  He was on the same side. 

Johnny looked back at them and scowled.  He conceded and grabbed the ball ready to spike it again. 

 

They played for another couple of hours until the sun started dipping low into the horizon.  Beautiful pinks and oranges and reds colored the sky for as far as the eye could see, the clouds making gorgeous patterns in the sky.   It had started getting colder and they had decided to go and gather some beach wood to make a bonfire.  They walked up the beach in pairs looking for the wood and Daniel and Johnny had been teamed up. 

They studied their feet as they walked in the sand.  Each foot leaving a print to be filled up with water when a wave crashed to the shore.    Daniel had told Johnny where he was from and why he had wound up across country and kept the conversation light.  Johnny told him that he was in karate and all of the other activities he was involved in.

They went back to their spot after collecting a few bits of driftwood and other things to make a fire with.  The guys had already begun piling wood up and squirting it with lighter fluid.  Daniel and Johnny threw their contributions in and dusted the sand off of their hands.  It became awkward after that and Johnny decided to go walk off toward the other guys and sit down on a beach lounger.  He wasn’t obligated to hang out with him after all.

Daniel stood there looking lost for a few minutes.  The guys had started talking again amongst themselves and pushing him out of the conversation.  He took a seat opposite them by the fire.  He had put on his red pullover from his bag.  It had started getting very chilly.  He rubbed his arms and tried to warm up by the fire. 

Dutch went to the cooler that they had brought and started tossing everyone a lukewarm beer from the melted ice water in the bottom of the cooler.

He tossed one at Daniel.  “Drink up, LaRusso…put some hair on those balls.”

They all laughed at his joke and Daniel couldn’t help but cut his eyes over to Johnny who had been staring back at him expectantly.  There was amusement dancing in his eyes.  He knew Dutch had a way of embarrassing anyone and the blush that crept over Daniel’s olive-skin was a mean feat that was successfully accomplished.

“I…I don’t drink.”

“You will tonight.”  Dutch said threateningly once again.

 

Daniel flicked his eyes to Johnny who had opened his own beer and was swallowing big gulps of it down.  He watched his throat work and had the sudden urge to lick at the thin trail of liquid that had coursed from the side of his mouth.  Johnny put the can down wiping the trickle of beer away with the back of his hand.  He studied Daniel raising an eyebrow at him.

Daniel opened the can and held his nose to force the liquid down.  He choked it up and everyone laughed uproariously. 

“There ya go, LaRusso…not so bad huh…”  Bobby said coming over and patting him hard on the back clearing his cough.

“No…no….it’s pretty *cough* good….smooth….” 

More laughter. 

Bobby pulled him over and deposited him in the middle of Jimmy and Tommy.  They all talked more about the girls they wanted to get with and who they had got with and what they were going to be doing during the summer…and the shit their parents were giving them if they didn’t get a job. 

Johnny was quiet throughout most of the conversation.  He was watching Daniel.  He had no idea why on earth he was starting to feel jealous of the comradery he was developing with his friends.  They were all laughing and joking and forcing more beer down Daniel’s throat.  He had decided he liked the way Daniel smiled.  He liked the way Daniel’s eyes locked on to his from across the fire.  The way Daniel wouldn’t break his gaze until Johnny would inevitably look away.

It was getting really late.  The sky had grown dark and all the boys were decidedly buzzed and sleepy.  Daniel lay propped up against Jimmy’s shoulder.  He had had about three beers and it was definitely having an effect on him.  Jimmy had his head bowed and was resting it against Daniel’s they were both almost completely asleep.

Johnny was becoming increasingly envious of the situation.  Possessive feelings started coursing through his system and his face was becoming darker with each passing minute.  He stood up.  He had had about four beers himself and was more than a little woozy.  He went over to where Daniel sat and tapped him on the foot with his own.  Daniel stirred and mumbled something.  “Wha…”

“LaRusso…I need to see you for a minute.”

“Hmmm…whadjusay?”

“Come on…I want to show you something over at my car.”

“Kay…” Daniel replied in a breathy sexy whisper.

Johnny’s head was numb.  He reached down and grabbed Daniel’s extended hand and pulled him up.  Jimmy slumped over, asleep on the ground.  The other three guys were either mostly asleep or looking back at Johnny as he hauled Daniel away from the rest of them over to his car a few yards away. Tommy smiled knowingly at Bobby. 

“What…you want to show me….” Sleepy murmurs coming from parted lips.

Johnny went over to the driver’s side and leaned up against the car. He had pulled Daniel by his pinky over to the car with him.   “C’mere.”

He looked at Daniel and laughed softly.  Daniel’s eyes were half-lidded and drowsy, he was swaying a little on his feet. 

“You really haven’t drank before?”

“What…gave it away…?”

“Just a hunch.  You kissed a boy before?”

Daniel shook his head not quite sure he had heard what he did.  He rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye, blinking it, trying to clear his head. “What?”

“You ever kissed a boy?”

“N..no…no I haven’t.”  Daniel swallowed hard.

“Yeah…that tracks.”  Johnny said laughing trailing his fingers up and down Daniel’s slender arm.

“Are you going to…kiss me?”  Daniel asked, nervously.  He wasn’t sure he was ready.

“If you want me to.”

Daniel looked back at Johnny intensely.  His brow furrowed and Johnny thought it was the most sexily fucking adorable thing he had witnessed the whole evening. It was endearing to see how serious he was taking the matter.

“I’m cool with that.”  He said nodding.

“Mmm…same here.”  Johnny said bringing Daniel’s face to his own.  He closed his lips around Daniel’s full ones, his hand resting at the back of his head. Johnny closed his eyes kissing him softly and slowly.  Daniel tasted like beer and hamburgers.  He moaned quietly and pulled back.

Daniel stood there with his eyes closed, his lips still moving, his legs almost dangerously wobbling. He lazily lifted his lids to look back at Johnny who was studying him again.  “Wow…”

“Yeah…that was…wow.”  Johnny had to admit.  “Wanna do it again?”

Daniel didn’t answer but wrapped his arms around Johnny’s broad shoulders and latched himself on to the boy’s lips, kissing him long and slow and deep.  Johnny grasped Daniel’s hips steading him against his own.  He pulled back again, both panting and needing to come up for air.

“You’re a great kisser, LaRusso.”  Johnny said giving him little pecks on the lips, not wanting to stop.

“Thanks...you too.”

Johnny opened his car door sliding into the driver’s seat.  He pulled Daniel in with him.  Daniel startled as Johnny pulled him across his lap to straddle him.  They looked at each other for a couple of minutes, Daniel rested his forehead against Johnny’s and brushed his nose alongside the other boy’s.   They kissed the air for a few seconds, hands trembling Johnny’s easing their way up the back of Daniel’s shirt, and Daniel’s splayed over tight skin and muscle. 

“You’re making me hot.” 

“I think that’s the intention.”

“I’ve wanted you all day.”

“I know.”

Daniel began a helpless grinding against Johnny’s hips as Johnny gripped them pulling him harder and harder against him. 

“What’s gonna happen tomorrow?”

“Don’t know…but you better kiss me now.”

They spent the rest of the evening getting “acquainted” and for the first time Daniel arrived here from New Jersey, he thought he might actually want to stay for a while.


	2. Scared To Be Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do we really know what goes on within the tight knit group of the Cobra boys? More questions than answers here. Will Daniel fit in?
> 
> Chapter Song: Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa - Scared to be Lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok...Emp stepping out of her comfort zone...but this is AU and I can play with these boys how I want...wink I hope I wasn't too rough...this is just getting them to where I need them...and a little bit of naughty, Empi never minds!
> 
> Johnny is exactly how you think he is here...but someone may be able to change him.
> 
> *Edit- our resident Jimmy expert let me know I needed to correct the color of his beautiful baby blues! Thank you for helping me! Should be all fixed up now!!!

 

It was great at the very start  
Hands on each other  
Couldn't stand to be far apart  
Closer the better

“Hey Johnny...I think your little shadow is following you around again.”  Tommy said pointing across the street.  The Cobra Kai boys were heading inside the movie theater on a lazy Saturday afternoon.  

Johnny glanced nonchalantly across the street, noticing the owner of the wavy black head of hair that was stooping over, pretending to tie his shoe.  He shook his head and smirked back at Tommy.  “I just have that effect on some people.”  He said shrugging off the rolled eyes back in his direction.  

“Whatever man...that’s not how I remember it.” Bobby said winking at him.  

“Yeah...you’re right...you hated me.”  Johnny said smiling and ruffling his thick head of hair.  He stood in line with the rest of them to pay for their tickets.  Dutch and Jimmy were already at the arcade playing a couple of video games before the movie started.

Johnny had gone to the grab machine after paying for his ticket.  He really didn’t have a reason for trying to win one of the shitty little stuffed animals that you would usually have to pay almost five dollars in quarters for.  He just did it because he knew he had the skills to pull it off.  

He had almost wiped the machine clean out when he was there last.  He plunked in a dollar’s worth of quarters and started moving the mechanical arm around.  “There’s one…”  He said as the arm dropped a blue rabbit down the chute.  He felt the presence of LaRusso before he actually looked up into the mirror at the back of the machine to see him standing next to him.

“Hey…”  Daniel said looking at him in the mirror, but not directly at him.  He was wearing a checkered shirt over a t-shirt that read “Avoid the Noid”  and a pair of camo pants.  He had his hands shoved in his back pockets and was rocking nervously from side to side.  

“Hey, yourself.”  Johnny went back to concentrating on getting a few more stuffed animals out.  Daniel watched quietly for a minute.

“So yeah...uh...you really didn’t give me a way to contact you the last time we...met.”  Daniel said nervously kicking the side of the machine.  

“Do you mind?”  Johnny said as the machine shook a little.  He had a pink elephant in the claw and it jostled as he maneuvered it to the hole.

“Oh...sorry.”  Daniel said stopping and watching as the elephant safely fell through.  “You’re pretty good at this.”  

“Yeah...it’s just something to do.”  Johnny grabbed out the two stuffed animals and shoved them in Daniel’s arms.  “Here.”  He walked back off to the other guys.  They were in an intense game of air hockey. Dutch’s fierce face was staring down Tommy who was slinging his paddle like mad all over the table trying to block the puck from going into the goal.  

“Damn it!”  He screamed when Dutch popped the puck easily past his frantic movements.  He laughed and clapped Jimmy on the back.  “That’s how you do it.”   He looked up and saw Daniel standing a step behind Johnny watching over his shoulder. “Hey...what’s that loser doing here...I thought we dropped his ass the other day.”

“Last time I checked it was a free country.”  Daniel said boldly to his face.  Dutch frowned and made a move towards him before Johnny looked back at him, stopping him in his tracks.  He smiled back at Daniel rolling his shoulders.  “Whatever.”

“So...what are you guys gonna watch today?”  Daniel said moving around Johnny slowly, brushing his arm with his own as he passed.  He went to lean against the air hockey table, crossing his legs.  He was trying to play it cool with these guys.  He had only hung out with them the one time at the beach.  He confidently thought that that meant they were friends.  Like he could just show up when he happened to run into them.

The Cobras all began moving in the same direction to stand around Johnny as he stared LaRusso down.  Daniel swallowed nervously.  He tried for a shrug and a companionable smile.  

“We’re watching A Nightmare on Elm Street.”  Tommy said laughing evilly.  “And you were not invited.”  He laughed again.

The others smiled and shook their heads and headed off toward the usher who took their tickets and pointed them in the direction of the theater.  Johnny hung back and walked over to Daniel.

“Hey...look...I know I should have asked man...and just didn’t try to butt in on you guys.”  Daniel ran a hand through his hair.  He felt his confidence drop down to his toes and it left him feeling as dejected as he felt his first day in Los Angeles.

Johnny stopped in front of him and looped his thumbs through Daniel’s belt loops.  Daniel stopped his apology and swallowed hard.  “If you wanna watch the movie with us that’s fine, LaRusso...just...stop being such a dork.”  He smiled, not really being serious.  

Daniel smiled crookedly back at him.  He looked into Johnny’s eyes.  “So...when were you gonna see me again?  I thought we had a good time the other day.”

“We did…”  Johnny said looking back toward the entrance of the theater.  “You know I would have seen you around eventually.  It’s a small town.”  He laughed.

“Yeah...small town.”  Daniel said shaking his head at the irony.

“Well you caught up to me easily enough.”  Johnny went over to the concession stand and bought a large coke and some popcorn.  Daniel leaned against the counter trying his best to play off casual. Johnny took a long drink of his coke and passed it to Daniel making eyes at him as he did so.  Daniel got the hint and took the cup from him, brushing his forefinger along Johnny’s as he brought the straw to his lips and sucked it, not taking his eyes off of the other boy.  He handed it back to Johnny and took a handful of his popcorn.  

“Did you think about me?”  Johnny asked him as they both went to the usher at the theater entrance.

“Yeah...a lot.”  Daniel said putting his hands back in his back pocket walking beside the other boy.

“Well...that’s nice to know.”  Johnny said handing his ticket to the usher.  Daniel hesitated…”I gotta get a ticket...is there...I mean...do you want me to come?”

Johnny laughed suggestively at what Daniel had said.  “Yeah...I want you to _come._ Go back and get your ticket. I’ll save you a seat.”

“Ok…”  Daniel said blushing.  He hurried over to the counter and got a ticket and rushed back to the now darkened theater.  He looked around for Johnny and the other guys and immediately found them, because they happened to be the most annoyingly loud bunch in the whole room.  Dutch was throwing milk duds at the back of some girl’s head and she was getting pissed.

“Cut it out, Asshole…”  she yelled up at him.

“What?? C’mon baby...don’t be cruel…”  Dutch said holding his hands up in mock surrender.  

Bobby, Tommy and Jimmy were in the row behind him and were laughing and making cat calls at the girls that Dutch was messing with.  A small popcorn war had started between all of them and Daniel shook his head, making his way over to them.  Johnny was sitting in an aisle seat, but there was not a seat beside him available, being taken up by Dutch who sneered at Daniel when he walked past.

Johnny looked up at him, and gave him a small shrug and a smile.  He didn’t make the seating arrangements.  

“Don’t ask me to move...man...I got here first.”  He said his dark eyes piercing Johnny’s in the semi-dark theater.

“No one’s askin’ you to.”  Johnny said, putting a hand on his chest.  Dutch eventually smiled a cocky smart grin in Daniel’s direction and leaned back in his seat, propping his feet on the back of the one in front of him.  Daniel stood there looking at them both and then to where the others were sitting.  

There was a seat tucked away by the wall next to Jimmy and he moved to go sit there.  He had to ease his way past the three other cobras before he flopped down in the seat, clearly disappointed.  He looked over to where Johnny was sitting and just watched the back of his head.

Jimmy stuck out his hand for Daniel to shake.  “How’s it going, man?”  He offered his popcorn to him and Daniel smiled.  He seemed to be the most like his temperament.  Quiet and nonthreatening.  Daniel didn’t mind him, but he was distracted.  Johnny turned to look back at where Daniel had wound up sitting.  Daniel locked eyes with his and his upper lip slightly curled into a flirty smile.  He wanted more than anything to be sitting by Johnny right now.  There were a lot of possibilities in a darkened movie theater.  

Johnny’s eyes flashed at them as the movie began and it took him several seconds before he drug his attention back to the screen.  He put his arm around Dutch’s seat and Daniel noticed that it stayed there throughout a good portion of the movie.  He was absentmindedly picking popcorn out of the box that Jimmy had shared with him.  The movie was scary enough...really not his cup of tea.  He prefered action movies and wanted to really see The Terminator.  He didn’t mind what he watched as long as he could have some friends to hang out with.  He smiled at Jimmy whose fingers accidentally rubbed against his in the box.  It was buttery and soft against his finger and he didn’t object when they brushed his again.  

“So...LaRusso...about the other day?”  Jimmy asked quietly beside him.

“Yeah?”

“Did you like...you know...what happened between you guys?”  Jimmy’s voice was close to his ear.  He had to speak up so that Daniel could hear him over all the screaming.  

“What are you talking about?”  Daniel said trying to play it cool.  He wasn’t really sure he wanted everyone knowing his business about what happened between him and Johnny no matter how “pal-ly” he wanted to be with these guys.

“It’s ok...Daniel...we all know...it’s not a big deal.”  Jimmy said as he continued stroking Daniel’s fingers in the popcorn.  Daniel looked at Jimmy who had brought his face really close to his own.  He could smell his light cologne and see a glistening sheen of butter on the other boy's lips.  He had a notion of wanting to taste that butter just then.  Jimmy was very seductive and subtle.  He had beautiful blue eyes that captured Daniel’s and didn’t allow him to break hold.  

“I think it is a big deal...actually…”  He whispered sharply back to the boy.  He didn’t know that Johnny was going to be bragging about what happened between them.  It was something special to Daniel.  It was a first for him.  

“Look...it’s ok...honestly...we all just all kinda tell each other stuff...you know...stick together.  He wouldn’t have said anything if he didn’t like you.”

Daniel began to feel tingly.  He looked back down at Johnny who was still turned toward the screen.  He had been keeping a watch on him from the corner of his eye and noted the number of times he casually looked back at him.  Too many to count.  He wanted to find out just how much Johnny liked him and decided to play a dangerous game.  He turned his bedroom eyes to Jimmy and smiled at him.  “How much does he like me?”

“Well…” Jimmy said, catching on.  “let’s just say he’d be pretty pissed if he found out we were doing this.”  He said brushing his lips against Daniel’s.  “And this.”  He said and he began kissing Daniel, lacing buttery greasy fingers together.  Daniel moaned quietly as he tasted buttered popcorn and breath mints.  Two brunette heads leaning into the other as the movie continued.  Bobby spotted them first and nudged Tommy in the ribs.  Tommy tapped the back of Johnny’s chair with his foot, getting his attention.  He had been furiously whispering to Dutch and was interrupted.  

_“I’ll decide how far I want this to go...understand?”_

_“Yeah...but you promised that Jimmy would be the last one.  You said that after Bobby that was it.  You can’t expect me to be cool about this.”_

_“Do you think I asked for this?”_

_“I know how you are man...you just...get all...this way...and bam...another one.”_

_“You know you’re my right hand man…I wouldn’t even try if you didn’t accept it.”_

_“Really...I’m not so sure about that anymore…”_

_“That’s a shitty thing to say.”_

_“Just don’t with this one...ok?”_

_“What’s wrong with you...I’ve never seen you this worked up?”_

_“There’s just something about him.”_

The tap on the back of his chair caused Johnny to jump slightly and he looked up to Tommy who had jerked his thumb over to the pair in the corner getting deep into their make out session.  Johnny actually thought he saw tongue.  He only saw red after that.  His cheeks were flushed crimson as he stood up immediately and went around to the next aisle behind the two who had now apparently blocked out everything else that was going on and Daniel had become so overwhelmed he had allowed Jimmy to start kissing his way down his neck.  His eyes were closed and his hands were rhythmically  grasping at nothing, just air.  

They were startled out of their lust filled haze as a hand clamped down hard at the base of Jimmy’s neck and he was forcefully hauled off of Daniel.  Jimmy who was in mid-kiss stared wide-eyed up at Johnny, who was looking threateningly at Daniel who was gasping for air, looking at him guilt and pleasure warring on his face.  He had to admit that Jimmy was a really good kisser. He almost made him forget why he was there in the first place.  Almost.  

“Get up…”  He told Jimmy.

Jimmy didn’t hesitate.  Johnny didn’t even look at Daniel who had begun standing putting a hand cautiously on Johnny’s forearm.

“Don’t…”  He said bitterly tossing the word out of his mouth. Daniel gulped.  He didn’t like seeing him look this way. He stayed still just watching as Johnny “assisted”  Jimmy past Bobby and Tommy who had stood to let him pass.  They both looked accusingly at Daniel.  He didn’t know what to say to who first.  

Johnny yanked Jimmy by the arm over to the men’s room at the back of the theater.  He didn’t speak a word to him but made sure that the restroom was clear before spinning around on the younger man.  

“You mind telling me what the hell that was about?”  He said looking at him with fire in his eyes.

“Wasn’t nuthin’ going on, Johnny...me and LaRusso was just talkin’.”  Jimmy tried to act defiant.

“Bullshit you were talking....You’re mine and you are not to touch anyone unless I tell you...is that understood?”

“Are you jealous?” Jimmy said, smiling at him, laughing at the possibilities.

“You know what we got going on.”

“Yeah...about that…”  Jimmy said immediately trying to latch himself onto Johnny’s neck.  Johnny was still pissed but he allowed Jimmy to apologize in his own way.  Jimmy pushed him against the far wall of the bathroom and dropped to his knees.  

Johnny sighed...letting out a frustrated breath and looked down at the azure eyes staring back up at him expectant, and let him do what he needed to say sorry.  He found himself thinking about another pair of eyes that he’d much rather have in the place of the boy in front of him, but he was horny and mad and he didn’t care who took care of the situation.  He was gripping Jimmy’s brown hair, gritting his teeth, his eyes closed tightly when he heard the gasp coming from the front of the room.  He opened his eyes, knowing who’d he expected to see.  He wasn’t disappointed.

Daniel stood there gaping at both of them.  His mouth hung open in shock, locking eyes on Johnny’s...hurt and disbelieving.  He almost tripped over himself running out of the bathroom.  

“Shit…”  

  
Is it just our bodies? Are we both losing our minds?  
  
Is the only reason you're holding me tonight  
  
'Cause we're scared to be lonely?


	3. The Tide is High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny catches up with Daniel. Can he get back in his "good graces"? 
> 
> Song Title: Blondie - The Tide is High
> 
> **WARNING*** There is some "Cowboy butt sects" right off the bat...YOU has been warned!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there may be a real story growing here....DOGGONE YOU, PINKSHIPPER!!! I BLAME YOU!!! LOL!!!! (and I thank you)
> 
> I hope you all are liking where this little naughty tale is going. We will be heading back to the beach soon!! They can't stay away for too long...*hands out complementary bottles of sunscreen*
> 
> Let me know whatcha think!!!

_The tide is high but I'm holdin' on_ _  
I'm gonna be your number one_

 

They had been going at it for almost ten minutes. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of skin slapping hard against skin.  It was just the way it was between them.  An occasional hiss or grunt when it really got going good but this time something was off and the boy below could feel it. 

They had chosen their usual spot which happened to be the main mat in the Cobra Kai dojo. It was early in the morning before training began.  Both of them had arrived early and decided to get down to business.  It was only a matter of time before they would have to quickly clean up and spend another two hours working out.  They both had claimed it was a way to drop the tension and stress that usually built up before a long training session. 

“Johnny.”  A harsh voice called his name. 

Johnny had been going at him as hard as he usually did but he was distracted.  He kept staring off into the mirrors in the dojo and not at the boy below. He gave a few more half-hearted thrusts before Dutch called an end to it and pulled himself off.

“What’s going on man?  Get your head in the game!” He rolled onto his back looking up at Johnny.  Johnny was flushed and sweating having exerted himself but still hard and frustrated. 

“I am…I mean…I’m trying.”

Dutch was panting but not near where he needed to be.  He growled.  “You know I only get this once a week and I need you to sort out whatever you got going on up there, He said pointing at Johnny’s head, “So you can sort this out here.” 

Dutch got on his knees and whacked Johnny upside his head.  “It’s that LaRusso kid…isn’t it.”

Johnny looked down at the mat.  His cheeks had splotches of red colored high a tell of his when he was embarrassed about something.

“It’s just…I haven’t seen him around…you know since the movies the other day.”

“So what…I told you to drop his ass.  He’s only gonna wind up doing this to you…”

“Yeah…but what happened.  That was my fault.  It shouldn’t have gone down that way.”

“Hey…shit happens.  You needed to keep Jimmy in line.  There is no rogue funny business going on within our group.  You call the shots.  You need to keep them disciplined.”

“Them?”

“You know what I mean.  I’ve got your back.  I always have.”

“I just want to know if there was a chance.”

Dutch sighed.  “What’s so special about this one?”

“I dunno…it’s weird…I barely know him.  It just seems different…you know?  Like I want to talk to him more.  Find out who he is.  Get to know him.”

Dutch studied his face.  They had never really been one for a friendship type of thing.  Johnny had never tried to draw him out or get to know him.  They were there to fulfill specific needs and he was cool with that.  There was no one better than Johnny for doing what he needed to do to get him properly laid.  He needed it. But he prided himself in being the one that brought reason and structure into Johnny’s almost careless ways.  He’d dropped the ball lately and allowed too many distractions.  This LaRusso punk was a big one.

“Alright…”

Johnny looked at him.  “Yeah…but I blew it.  I can’t find him anywhere.”

“Have you looked?”

“Nah…I just keep figuring I’d run into him somewhere.  He’s keeping a real low profile.”

“I’ll send Bobby and Tommy around.  Just promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“Just make sure he doesn’t become Cobra Kai.  I’ll let you pursue this.  But he’s not one of us.”

“You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“It ain’t funny man.”

“I know…I know…it won’t happen.  You have my word.”  Johnny said smiling running a hand up and down Dutch’s sweaty thigh. 

“That’s better.  Now I need you to fuck me and we ain’t got that much time left.  My dad has been giving me some real shit lately about getting a job and he’s got my dick all twisted up hassling over it.”

“Well then you better shut up and get that ass back where it belongs.”  Johnny said grabbing him by the hips.  He was semi-hard and began stroking himself.  He had a picture in his head now.  He felt better after their talk.  He would go find LaRusso and see if anything could be salvaged.  He didn’t mind a little chasing.  Thinking of his face a small moan escaped his lips. 

Dutch was watching him stroke himself and he was growing hard watching Johnny.  He anticipated the sharp sting that awaited him after Johnny spit in his hand and made himself slick again. 

“Get over here.”  He growled sinking himself in deep.

Another hiss.  Johnny grabbed a handful of hair and renewed his interest in getting the boy below him properly broke off.  He saw Daniel in his mind, soft, compliant and willing.  Flashes of their kisses, him grinding in Johnny’s lap, made his cock twitch inside of Dutch. 

“Oh…” Dutch actually gasped.  He had always disciplined himself to just take it.  He shook his head.  He wouldn’t give Johnny the satisfaction…yet.

A chuckle above him.  “What was that?”

“Nothing…”  He rocked back on Johnny who groaned.  _‘That oughta shut him up.’_

Johnny gave him an open-handed slap on his ass.  “Watch it.”

He thrust into him, trying to focus and concentrate.  They had built up a fantastic rhythm.  Dutch caught Johnny’s eye in the mirror.  He still had a faraway look but what he was doing to him, he had no complaints. 

“Oh god…”  He gasped out.  This felt good.

Johnny bit his lip and grasped hold of Dutch’s hips.  It didn’t take him much longer to fall over the edge.  He had Daniel’s name on his lips, but he bit his tongue hard as he moaned out around it.  Dutch would not appreciate it no matter how he was feeling right now.  He fell on top of the sweaty boy and they lay there gasping, trying to come down from some far off place. 

The good thing about both of them, the other thought was that there was no need for cuddling.  There was no need for talk.  Dutch eventually hopped off, rolled his neck, bounced from foot to foot and reached out a hand to haul Johnny up beside him.  They fist bumped and went to the back room to shower and get ready for the rest of the class to show up.

 

\------

_Ev'ry girl wants you to be her man_  
_But I'll wait my dear till it's my turn_  
_I'm not the kinda girl who gives up just like that, oh no_

 

Daniel had been wandering around aimlessly that day.  He had helped his mom with a few chores around the house and now she had insisted that he get out of her hair.  He had been moping around for the past two weeks.  He didn’t want to do anything but watch TV and sleep.  He was still having a hard time processing what had happened the other day at the theater. 

He just kept seeing Johnny, his eyes on him.  Letting that boy…Jimmy…do what he was doing.  He didn’t want to see what else was going on, he didn’t want to know what else was going on.  All he could see was the pained look on Johnny’s face.  Like he was helpless to stop what was happening.  Like he was sorry. 

Daniel kicked a rock along the ground.  He wasn’t going to deny it.  He missed the boy with the bright blue eyes.  He hadn’t done anything but think about his face and think about the way he kissed him that night on the beach.  He felt things he had never felt with any of the girls he had kissed before.  He liked how Johnny had breathed out his name when they were going too far.  He didn’t want to scare Daniel, he had told him.  He wanted to take things slow.  Daniel had respected that…then.

Every time he thought about it he got angrier.  Sure some of the fault was his.  He shouldn’t have been kissing the other boy.  He still felt his lips on his own.  It felt different.  He didn’t have the same connection as he had had with Johnny in his car.  Everything just seemed like a surreal dream.

He found his way to a record shop in the middle of town.  He decided he would go in and have a look around…take his mind off of stuff.  He was supposed to be in town looking for a summer job.  He had no interest of working, but he did need money.  There was never enough in his house.  He went in, the bell above the door jingling as he walked in the door. 

The Cobra boys happened to be turning the corner at that exact moment, cutting up and shoving each other around.  Tommy saw Daniel disappear inside and he ran off to catch up with the others.  He pulled them all back pointing into the store and laughing.  He shoved Johnny in the direction and clapped him on the back.  They all ran off leaving him to wander across the street to the record store, hands deep in his pockets, a relieved smile on his face.

The bell jingled above the door.  Daniel instinctively looked up and locked eyes with Johnny.  His pulse shot up, but then remembered he was supposed to be pissed.  He groaned, rolled his eyes and looked away.  He started moving to the far end of the store. 

Johnny’s eyes flashed fierce and he had to keep his patience.  He understood why Daniel would be upset.  But come on. He was starting to feel like it was a bit much.  He walked to the back of the store, where Daniel was flipping rapidly through LPs trying to ignore him.  Johnny propped his arm on the wooden rack where the records were being held. 

“Hey…”

Daniel looked at him, frowned and looked away.

“Where you been?”

“I been around…”

“Really?  I haven’t seen you.”

“You been lookin’?”

Johnny smiled and flipped his bangs out of his face.  He gave Daniel his best dazzling grin.

“Maybe.”

“Well that’s too bad…because maybe I’m trying not to be found.”  Daniel said pushing past him and moving off to another section of records.  He picked up a “Men at Work” album and began studying the tracks.

“Ok…I deserve that.”  Johnny said coming up beside him again.  He grabbed the record from Daniel’s hand.  “This is a good one.” 

“You like New Wave?”

“Yeah it’s not bad.  I’m more of a Prog Rock fan.  I like all the oldies from the 70s.  You know shit like Boston, Styx, SuperTramp.  Now that’s music!” 

Daniel smiled in spite of himself.  “Do you like R.E.O. Speedwagon?”

“Dude…you’re speaking my language!”

Daniel huffed a laugh.  “I didn’t figure you’d be the type.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Johnny said handing the record back and brushing his fingers along the back of Daniel’s hand.  They both shivered involuntarily.  Johnny played it cool and Daniel blinked.  “Oh uh…I just thought you’d be into stuff like The Beach Boys or Frankie Valli.”  Daniel laughed at his own joke. 

“You think that’s funny do ya?”  Johnny said showing a toothy grin.  “How’s those Dean Martin records?  I heard they’re all the rage at the clubs these days.”

“Jerk.”

“Yeah.”

He went to stand behind Daniel and breathed in his hair.  It smelled freshly washed and a little fruity.  Daniel flinched and turned to look at him.

“I’m mad at you.” He took the Men at Work album up to the front counter, forcing Johnny to follow after him again. Johnny shook his head and waited as he bought the album and headed for the door. 

“Look, LaRusso…about that.”

“Listen man…you don’t need to explain.  I don’t know what you all have going down.  I just…I guess I wasn’t expecting that.”

“You were kissing him.”

Daniel blushed.  “I know…but it wasn’t what…you were doing.”

“Yeah…and I was…I was wrong for that.  I shouldn’t have let it get that far.”

“What’s going on between you guys?”  Daniel said bluntly. “I mean…I kissed you first, Johnny…I thought you liked me??  I thought…you know I might have been your first too.” 

Johnny avoided the question. He really didn’t know how much he wanted to answer that question right then.  It was way too much to get into at the moment.  And besides…he didn’t know Daniel at all...it was none of his business what he had going on in his life.  He just was distracted right now.  He was distracted by mocha brown skin and wavy black hair.  Beautiful innocence and pain wrapped up in his emotions that he wore on his sleeve.  His mouth was so inviting he couldn’t stop thinking about how it had been and what he wanted to do again. 

“Hey…you wanna get something to eat with me?  I was just going to go over to the pizza parlor and grab a slice.  My treat!”

Daniel rubbed his growling stomach.  He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to go get something to eat.  Maybe he should just mind his own business anyway.  He didn’t expect to get an answer from him, but it was going to bug him for a while.  He nodded his head quietly.  He would have to wait for his answers.

 

They went to Nick’s Pizza a popular teen hangout a couple of blocks away.  Daniel was looking around for Johnny’s ever present posse, but he saw not a sign of them anywhere.  He looked back at Johnny.  Every time he had seen him he had been surrounded.  It was odd to see him by himself. 

“So…where are your buddies?”

“Hmmm…they’re around I’m sure. Just kinda felt like hanging out by myself today.  It was a surprise to run into you.”

“You sure that wasn’t more than a coincidence?”

“Well…I had been kinda keeping an eye out for you.”

“You make me feel special.”  Daniel said taking a big bite of his pizza.  He looked at Johnny while he chewed. His eyes showed that he was still harboring a lot of confusion.

“Wise ass.”

They chewed their pizzas quietly for a time.  Shy glances across the table.  Johnny would smile at Daniel and he would blush and look away. 

“Say…what did you do with those stuffed animals I won for you?”

Daniel frowned and swallowed some soda.

“I gave them away to a couple of girls that were sitting on a bench, watching me.  They kept giggling and pointing at me…you know like a bunch of...girls.”  He said rolling his eyes. 

Johnny laughed.  “Yeah…I bet you made their day, as cute as you are.”

“Well…I do know how to flirt.”  He said giving his best brown-eyed, full of lashes lopsided smile he had in his arsenal for the boy in front of him.

“You better knock it off…” Johnny said breathlessly.  “I don’t want to have to come across this table and kiss that smile off your face.”

They could feel the electricity in the air.  It rose above the noise in the restaurant and was palpable around them.

“You wanna get out of here?”  Johnny said reaching across the table and taking Daniel’s hand.  He rubbed his thumb alongside his fingers making delightful shivers go up Daniel’s arm.

“Yeah…that sounds good.”  Daniel said playing with Johnny’s fingers absentmindedly.  He wasn’t breaking eye contact with him and Johnny was beginning to feel his warmth spreading. 

He got up and paid their tab and put a hand on Daniel’s lower back as he walked with him out of the door. 

His hand felt warm and solid at the base of his back and Daniel found himself having trouble walking. Where would they go?  The streets were full of people and cars.  He looked at Johnny with a hint of desperation in his eyes.

“I know…”

He grabbed Daniel’s hand and began to run with him, pulling him along behind him, really kind of comical to anyone who happened to be watching.  He was dragging him along like a rag doll. 

“Johnny…slow down.  Where are we going?” 

Johnny stopped abruptly, Daniel bumping into his back.  He didn’t move away from him.  He loved the proximity.  Johnny shivered at the welcomed heat on his back and the boy breathing hard in his ear.  “There’s no place…”

“There never is for these kinda situations.  We just have to adapt.” 

“We can go back to my house.  My mom is at work.” 

“You sure about that, LaRusso?”

“Yeah…I’m sure.” 

Johnny looked around quickly and brought his forehead to Daniel’s blonde bangs brushing brunette, sharing the same breath.  Blue eyes ardently searching out browns. “Lead the way.”  He kissed him quickly before anyone was the wiser and Daniel grabbed his hand, now pulling him toward his apartments. 

 _It's not the things you do that tease and hurt me bad_ _  
But it's the way you do the things you do to me_


	4. The Less I Know The Better.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Johnny discuss revelations about the both of them. 
> 
> Chapter song: The Less I Know the Better - Tame Impala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised at the response!! This story makes me feel ALL kindsa WRONG and I LOVE it!!! I like what it's telling me and how it's turning out...I'm surprised it veered so far off the course from an innocent little beach fic...but I have hopes that it will wind back up that way in the end....LOL!!! There are more lessons to be learned first!
> 
> Let me know whatcha think below!! I'mma need to get a brain scrubber on an image I came up with in the car on the ride over. I laughed all the way in to work!!!
> 
> EMPjoy!!!

**_I said better late than never_ _  
Just don't make me wait forever_**

Johnny was pissed.  He hailed a cab.  The hell if he was going to take that stinking bus back to his home in Encino Hills.  He told the cab driver where to take him looking back at the rundown South Seas Apartments where he had left the most unbelievable, unreasonable, frustrating piece of ass he had ever tried to claim.  As he looked back though, his thoughts shifted.  Maybe he wasn’t doing this just to piss him off.  It made him think…and he wasn’t in the mood to think right now. 

On the ride back, flashes of what had gone down invaded his brain.  He rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes letting out a disheartened sigh. 

He remembered the way Daniel looked at him, embarrassed and anxious.  He told him that he didn’t live on the best side of town.  Johnny already knew he didn’t come from money.  He had seen it in the way he dressed and what he talked about.  He made no mention of his parents or what they did in his conversations with him.  He thought he was tragically cute as he told him that they’d have to take the bus to his apartment. 

Johnny laced fingers with his.  “Hey…it’s no big deal.  If I had my car, I’d drive us.” 

The bus ride had been interesting.  Johnny hadn’t rode the bus, not even when going to school.  A public bus was nothing short of disgusting.  It stank of sweat and urine and Daniel thinking that he was responsible for it kept apologizing for the way it had to be.  Johnny found a seat in the back and pulled Daniel down beside him.  He slung his arm around Daniel’s shoulder playing it cool.  There were not many people on the bus and his gesture could be considered just a “best-buds hanging out” posture.  Daniel had leaned into him slightly and it was making his heart race.  He could feel the erratic breathing from the boy next to him and it was driving him wild.  He liked that he made Daniel nervous with his closeness.  He looked at him.

“You ok?”

“Yeah…I’m fine….It’s just…”

Johnny quickly kissed the top of his head, scruffing it away when he did.  Daniel laughed. 

“It’s gonna be ok, LaRusso.”  He looked into Daniel’s eyes and could see the anticipation and open trust shining through.  It sent a sharp pain through his heart.  The kid was smitten.

They had gotten off at his stop and Johnny looked at his surroundings.  This was really low end.  He felt the grime of the city working its way into his skin.  He tried not to grimace, but his privilege had a way of forcing itself to the forefront regardless of the feelings of who he was with.

“This place is a shithole, LaRusso!” 

“I’m not proud of it…look if you’d rather go somewhere else…”

“No…no…just let me pick next time ok?”

Daniel looked at him and gulped.  “Next time?”

Johnny looked at him and smirked.  “I sure hope there’s one.” 

Daniel felt his cheeks warm as he pouted his lower lip. 

“Keep doing that…and I’ll have you up against the gate.”  Johnny said flashing a menacing glare.

Daniel shyly smiled back at him a glint of mischief in his eyes. 

He led them to his apartment, number 20 on the second floor.  Johnny took note of the green tinge on the mediocre excuse of a pool and shook his head.  This was going to be ugly. 

Daniel opened the door to his apartment and was instantly nervous.  He fidgeted and put his keys on the hook by the door.  It was like he didn’t know what to do with this hands. Johnny could understand.  This was like a power play for him.  Daniel finally had him where he wanted him and now he didn’t know what he wanted.  Johnny smiled inwardly.  He could barely remember when he felt the way Daniel did, the first time.  That was a long time ago. 

“You got a bedroom?”

“Of course I gotta bedroom…”  Daniel said picking at the counter where he was leaning up against.  He had decided that was the safest place for him to be at the moment.  Johnny looked at him and cleared his throat. 

“Oh…oh yeah…come on.”  Daniel said ushering him down the hall.  He opened the door to his room and Johnny did a once over, noticing the movie trailer posters of The Predator and The Terminator on the wall, the second hand turntable, the twin-sized mattress on the floor.  There were a couple of piles of dirty clothes lying around and Daniel quickly picked them up and threw them in a larger pile by his closet. 

“Sorry for the mess I wasn’t expecting…company.”

“No big deal…you should see my room.”  Johnny said flipping through some of the records Daniel had in a stack on his dresser.  He chose The Smiths and soon the sounds of “How soon is Now” filled the room. 

Johnny turned to see Daniel standing in the middle of the room, expectant.  He stepped close to him and brought his finger up under Daniel’s chin and lifted it to look at him.  Daniel closed his eyes.  The music and the proximity was making him tingle like his whole body had fallen asleep.  Johnny thought he was impossibly adorable.  “How is this making you feel?” he whispered, lips brushing his with every word.

“Sleepy.”  Johnny bust out laughing at his answer. 

“That wouldn’t be the word I would have chosen.”  Daniel opened his eyes and smiled a toothy grin.

“I dunno…I’m just new to all of this.  I’m not sure how I should be feeling.” 

“Well hopefully this…doesn’t make you feel…sleepy…”  Johnny said walking him backwards until he was pressed up against his closed bedroom door.  He pushed his lips firmly against Daniel’s mouth giving him no questions of what his intent was.  Daniel’s lips were so pliant and beyond soft.  Daniel moved his mouth, keeping up with the tantalizing movements of his own.  He had opened his eyes to look at Daniel who had his own closed, his brow furrowed in concentration.  His skinny arms looped around his shoulders, tiny sighs and sounds every time he moved.  Johnny was spellbound.  How could someone with as little experience as he appeared to have, know just what to do with that mouth?  He rested his hands at either side of Daniel’s head on the back of the door.  Their hips brushing together.  Johnny was feeling himself growing firm inside of his jeans.  He wanted to take it slow, but then he also wanted to take everything in five minutes.  He was struggling with himself. 

He turned Daniel so that they were now facing his bed and easily lowered them down on it, pressing Daniel’s back into the mattress.  He had begun moving his hands up underneath Daniel’s thin t-shirt and Daniel arched his back up to meet them. 

Johnny didn’t stop kissing him, but kept petting him, like a nervous cat he was trying to calm.  He kept brushing his hands lower, dipping them in the waistband of his jeans, eliciting a moan as his cold fingers touched Daniel’s lower back. 

He moved his hand to the front of Daniel’s pants and pressed the palm there.  He felt Daniel tense suddenly and move away slightly.  “What…?”  He whispered between kisses.

“Nothin…it’s just…” 

Johnny tried again.  Kissing deeply and moving himself this time brushing jeans against jeans.  Daniel pulled his mouth away and gasped. 

“I’m sorry…it’s…too much….” Daniel said blushing, embarrassed.

“It’s ok, LaRusso…I’m not going to hurt you. Doesn’t it feel good?”

“Yeah…yeah it does.”  He said looking back at him and then guiltily off to the other side of his room.

“But…”

“I’ve never…”

“What do you mean, you’ve never?”

“I mean…I’ve never…done…”

“You mean…ever?  Like not at all?” 

Daniel didn’t answer him but lay there feeling like he was the most incompetent sixth grade girl. Johnny lifted himself up off of him and leaned back over Daniel’s legs.  He was starting to get the gravity of the situation.  He tried to force thoughts past the urgency of his needs to feel the other boy’s feelings but he thought well what better time than the present to fix the situation.  It made the want of him even more urgent. 

“Let me show you.  I’ll be gentle.”  He went back on all fours over the edgy boy underneath him.  He put his hands anywhere and everywhere at once.  _‘A virgin…’_ he thought.  This was too good to be true.  It made his dick painfully hard and swollen in his pants.  He wanted to be Daniel’s first more than anything.  Mark him as his own personal property.  His private territory.  Make him ruined for anyone else but him.  He was getting greedy, ripping at clothes and not listening to the sounds of protest underneath him.

“No…Johnny…STOP!”  He finally said loud enough to register.  Daniel pushed him off.

They sat there breathing hard for several seconds.

“What’s the problem?”

“The problem is I don’t want to go that far.  I barely know you.  I mean…I like you…but I’m just not ready for this.”

“What did you think was gonna happen when I showed up here today?”

“I dunno…I don’t know what I thought…”

“Well I can tell you, I’m thinking a lot of things right about now.”  Johnny said frowning at him, sitting up and brushing his hand through his hair, straightening it back into place. 

Daniel sat up and looked at him with fear in his eyes.  “Please don’t be mad…”

Johnny sighed, frustrated.  He looked back at him and smiled.  “I’m not…I’m just needy…something you have to get used to I’m afraid.”  He put his hand on Daniel’s knee and rubbed circles into it with his thumb.

“Is that why you felt you had to do what you did with that boy at the theater?”

Johnny stopped and frowned back at Daniel.  “Leave it alone.  What I do with them and what I do with you is different.”

“Them…what do you mean…them?”

Johnny’s face was growing angrier.  “I know you’re smart…LaRusso…so I won’t have to tell you again.  I don’t want to talk about what I do with those others.  It’s my business.” 

“Have you done…this…with them?”  Daniel said unrelenting.  His large brown eyes looked disbelievingly into his own. 

“…and a lot more.  I’m not as new to the game as you are.” 

“This isn’t a game to me, Johnny.” 

“That’s not what I meant…look…it’s very complicated.  But I like you.  I want you to be a part of it all.  I want you to be special.  You are…and I know you’ll fit in great with the others.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking that I want you to be a part of what we have.  I want you to do what we do.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“That can change.”

“I don’t want the others.  I don’t want them doing what you do…I don’t want YOU doing it.”

“Well I think that’s not going to be an option.  If you get into this you’re going to be in deep. You’ll be in it with me and only a matter of time before the others.  They aren’t going to want me to keep you all to myself.  Although I really want to at this point.”

“You’re…you’re serious aren’t you?”  Daniel said looking back at Johnny, disgust slowly creeping into his eyes.

Johnny didn’t like where this was going.  He didn’t like seeing Daniel judging him.  He was proud of his Cobras, they were tight.  There was nothing that another one wouldn’t do for someone else.  Fighting, fucking or otherwise.  He wasn’t going to be looked down on by an inexperienced virgin with a hot mouth.

“It’s just how it is.”

“I think you better leave.”

“What?  What the hell are you talking about?”

“You don’t respect me.”

“I do!  I respect you…I want to teach you.  I want to show you…everything.”  He tried to brush his lips against Daniel’s again.  Daniel pulled away and stood up. 

“You have a funny way of showing it…I don’t want my first time to be some sort of initiation ritual for a bunch of horny teenagers.  That’s not who I am.”

“Yeah I know who you are, LaRusso…a big cock tease…and I have better things to do with mine.”  Johnny said pushing past him out of the door and down the street.  He didn’t see Daniel brushing the tear from his eye, all he heard was the slamming of the door.

 

\--------

 

“Tommy…”

“Johnny??  Hey…”

“I need you to come over.”

“Wait…what…now?”

“Yeah…and bring it.” 

“Oh…oh no…what happened?”

“Just shut up and get here…fast.”

“Sure Johnny…whatever you say.”

 

An hour later there was a knock at Johnny’s bedroom door.  His mother had let Tommy in but excused herself going back to her own wing of the house.  Tommy quickly went to the bathroom and emerged, looking both ways down the hall.  No one was there.

Johnny opened the door a look of lust but with a hint of anger on his face.  He was trying hard not to think.  He needed a real distraction.  A fishnet stockinged leg propped itself in the doorway. 

“Well hello….stranger.”  A voice said in falsetto.

He pulled Tommy from around the corner.  He was dressed in a cheesy blue prom style dress and red wig.  He had bright red lipstick on his lips and a quirky pull of a smile knowing what this act usually led to. 

“Hi…Babbette.  I haven’t seen you in a while.”  Johnny said laughing bitterly, his thoughts still burning with LaRusso’s condemnation.  He brought the boy into his room and shut the door. 

 

_**Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side** _   
_**I don't suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind** _   
_**I was doing fine without ya, 'til I saw your face, now I can't erase** _   
_**Giving in to all his bullshit** _   
_**Is this what you want, is this who you are?** _   
_**I was doing fine without ya, 'til I saw your eyes turn away from mine** _   
_**He's not going where he wants you** _


	5. I Can See It In Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Daniel pair up....but not with each other. Trouble in Paradise...but for whom? 
> 
> Chapter Song: I Can See It In Your Eyes - Men At Work
> 
> ***WARNING...there is some Weird and Wonky stuff going on in this chapter...with boys in Drag...if that's your thing...then this warning doesn't apply to YOU! LOL!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright...I think I actually found a path for this plot bunny to hop down. This chapter came pretty easily and I am eager to get started on the next one ASAP!!! MY MANY THANKS to MY PINK MUSE - PINKSHIPPER...she has kept me on my toes with this one. I also give MUCHAS PROPS to My Secret Whisperer TheLadyDisdain. She puts little gems in my ear that I would never have thought of if it wasn't for her. THANK YOU LADIES!!! I couldn't write this without YOU!!!
> 
> Please comment and kudos...EMPI LOVES the PRAISE!!! LOL!!! Good or bad...let me hear from you :)!!! THANKS to my Cobra Quiver ALL YOU LADIES ROCK!!
> 
> P.S. Someone PLEASE let me know if I got the color of Bobby's eyes right. I've looked at pictures...not real sure if they are blue or green?? THANKS!

_By your leave, I think that I'll be going now_  
_I think I've stayed a little long_  
_I looked up all my mother's recipes_  
_I can't think what I did wrong_

 “Happppy Birthdaaaayyy….Mister President.”  Tommy drawled in high falsetto.  He extended a blue statin gloved hand toward the blonde headed boy sitting with legs open in his recliner.  Johnny watched the other boy cavort around the room, posing and posturing, making his sexiest poses...only stumbling a couple of times in his nine inch stiletto heels and recovering and continuing with his act.  Tommy was one thing if he wasn’t method.  Johnny laughed in spite of the fact that he was brooding and upset. 

Tommy could see that Johnny was distracted about something and not in a good way.  He seldom asked for this kind of treatment, so he knew that there was something wrong.  He took a lot of pride in his drag persona, and he was ecstatic with his audience of one.  He really didn’t get a lot of opportunity to slip into character.  His father had caught him once, in front of the mirror in his bedroom in full regalia, wig styled in a 50’s bouffant, and his make-up perfect in his opinion.  He remembered studying his face for hours, looking at himself at all angles.  He liked looking this way. He named her ‘Babbette’ and he became her.  His father took one look and he spent about two months in a Green Leaf facility to work on his “issues”. 

At Johnny’s third frown of the evening, Tommy dropped to his knees and slowly crawled over to his open legs, fluttering his large false eyelashes provocatively.  “Tell Babbette…what she can do for you…”  He said in a poorly executed over-the-top French accent.  She rested her arms on his knees and looked up at him with concern. 

“It’s nothing…don’t stop what you’re doing.  I need it.” 

She reached her statin glove up and touched Johnny’s cheek bringing it down to his mouth and rubbed his parted lips open.  Johnny nipped at her glove and pulled it off with his teeth.

“Such a skilled mouth you have, my little poppet.”  She took the glove and wrapped it around the back of Johnny’s neck coming up to straddle him.  Johnny buried his nose in the flat chest, breathing in a bucket load of perfume.  He put his hands on her hips and raised the dress up and over the garters holding the fishnets in place.  He rubbed his hand up and down the stocking covering a smooth leg.  Johnny was amused that Tommy even decided to shave his legs.  ‘ _How far did this actually go?’_  

Tommy had started rocking against the fabric of Johnny’s jeans.  He had started becoming hard the minute he walked in the door.  He loved the feel of his erection as it slid over his satin panties.  The rough way he brushed them against Johnny’s crotch made him want to swoon.  He bent down to kiss Johnny who immediately put a finger to his lips.

“Babbette…you naughty girl…remember the rules.”  He said pulling the finger away.  Tommy was not allowed to kiss him at all.  He had never kissed Johnny.  It was something that was agreed upon a long time ago. 

“Babbette thought that maybe just this once…to take your mind off of things.” 

“We don’t break the rules…and besides…you get more than what you need out of this…”  Johnny said bringing his hand down to the satin underwear feeling the hard thickness of him instantly pressing into his hand.  “Johnny…” He gasped breaking character. 

“Ah…ah…”  Johnny said removing his hand.  He grasped Tommy by the chin and looked at him in the eye.  “I don’t want to have to remind you again.”

“Whatever you say, Poppet.”  Tommy said continuing his lap dance.  He took his time, practicing his dance moves, raising his arms above his head, leaning back, letting his red wig cascade around his shoulders.  He ground into Johnny’s lap seductively, watching the effect that it was finally having on him.  Johnny had gripped both sides of the recliner, his head back, watching the ‘girl’ writhe on him.  It was starting to work.  He was pushing back thoughts of frustrating brunette Italian boys to the back of his memory.  He bit his lip as a well-timed brushing against his pants brought Daniel’s face, the feel of his lips, right into his line of sight.  He groaned and thrust upward.

“Finally…Babbette was becoming worried mon cher.”  She trailed a finger down his chest.  “Why don’t you…take off your shirt….you’ll feel better…then we can work on…other things…” 

Johnny pushed the thoughts of Daniel out of his head and tried to concentrate on what was happening in front of him.  It seemed that as soon as he did that he lost interest.  The boy giving 110% on his lap was not doing anything for him and that scared him to the core.  Usually, he would be taking what he wanted, brutally or not from his willing participant...He needed to come.  His frustration grew. 

“Ok…yeah…whatever.”  He took his shirt off and tossed it aside. 

“Very nice, Poppet…” Tommy felt his pecs one glove on, one glove off.  He began to massage tense muscles.  “Here is your problem…”  He massaged until Johnny roughly pulled him away and flipped him over making him sit backwards on him.

Tommy once again filed away in his mind that Johnny hated intimacy.  He never allowed anyone to get that close.  No personal touches.  No kisses.  Just fulfill his kinky needs and be done.  He shook his head…He didn’t even want to know.  He had several guesses about what the problem was and he was sure he was right about all of them.  Things had been different lately. 

He lay his head back against Johnny’s shoulder giving him a full view of silky satin and a face full of synthetic wig.  It was high quality, the best his allowance could buy.  But it wasn’t the real thing.   Johnny steadied his hips against the boy, beginning to rock hard up into him and pull him back hard on top of him.  Tommy squealed in character.  “Let me help you…” She said standing him up and unbuttoning his pants.  Johnny looked at a spot on his wall not wanting to watch as Tommy lowered his pants to see that he was barely aroused.  He looked up into Johnny’s face making the boy look back at him. 

Johnny’s cheeks burned.   “I guess you still have your work cut out for you.” 

He pushed Johnny back into the recliner and used its rocking motion to rock into him.  It was now his mission.  Johnny’s hands played all over her dress and gave up trying to be coy and began stroking Tommy…until the sounds of his moans were vibrating in the room.  It was the sounds that got him back in the game and he felt himself rising up to meet him. 

“Mon Cheri…zee things you can do…”  Johnny growled and pulled off the panties so that they were both bare and Tommy continued to rock into Johnny coming close to kissing him again and then backing away. 

Johnny was close but still frustratingly not close enough.  He felt like he could do this for hours and get absolutely nowhere.  He hated himself for doing what he did next.  He needed to do it, so that he could just get this fiasco over with.  He just wanted to go to sleep.  He didn’t want to admit to himself that this was what he had needed to do the entire time.  He stopped fighting. 

The images of Daniel, sweet and innocent, staring at him, his full lips slightly parted.  He could feel the intake of his breath.  He could feel his tongue as it tentatively licked at his lower lip.  Johnny moaned, shaking his head.  His eyes had glazed over.  The sensations had not stopped below.  They kept a steady, smooth rocking and it was getting him there.   Daniel kissing him.  The feel of his body against his.  The first night in the car.  The first time he touched his skin.  Johnny shuddered hard.  He reflexively gripped the hips of someone he couldn’t even remember who at the moment, and called out Daniel’s name. 

Tommy had heard what he had expected to hear all along.  He could tell when things had changed along with the atmosphere.  He had already come all over Johnny’s chest, but the other boy was too far gone to notice.  He chose to ignore it.  He was there to make sure that Johnny would get what he needed at all times.  If it wasn’t his face in front of him, then it was just one of those hazards of the job.  He got what he needed out of it as well.  A way to be his persona and a way to get himself off. 

“Daniel…FUCK!”  Johnny cried out and shut his eyes tightly as he left stains on a blue dress.  His head was spinning as he came off of an intense orgasm.  It seemed as if it would never end.  It was mind blowing.  “God….” He breathed…his heart racing wildly. 

He shook his head finally clearing the cobwebs.  When the world finally settled he saw the ‘girl’ he had forcefully threw off his lap, sitting in a tangled heap on the floor.  Her cheeks were streaked with mascara and the wig she had been wearing was pulled from her head, revealing the tormented boy underneath.  Johnny swallowed, suddenly reviled, like that was the last face he wanted to see.  He wasn’t who he wanted. 

“Get out.”

“Johnny…what’s the…”

“I SAID GET OUT!!”   Johnny started collecting clothes and ripped stockings and panties that had happened to fall behind his bed. 

Tommy looked at him his mouth firm.  He wanted to speak his mind.  He knew he’d be punished if he did, but he wanted to let Johnny know that this was not cool. 

Johnny put all of Tommy’s things in his arms and pushed him from the bedroom. 

“Can I clean up?”

“You know where it’s at.” 

“Johnny…this was…you can’t keep using me like this.”

“I don’t care…I can’t talk about it now.  Just go, Tommy.”

\-----

_I used to look at your school photographs_  
_But I don't have them anymore_  
_I wonder who's in my old college rooms_  
_Or stuck on my old locker door_

Daniel was sitting on top of a sand dune overlooking the ocean.  It was peaceful here.  Calm and in the mid-morning hours, just the right amount of heat to leave him feeling pleasant.  He had a lot on his mind.  He watched a lone seagull circle lazily in the sky.  He needed something to do with his life.  Something to take his mind off events that had threw his life into constant confusion.  He kept questioning himself if he had done something wrong?  Was it wrong to feel the way he did?   He sighed, fretting a nail between his teeth.  He didn’t understand the feelings that were going on inside of him.  But most of all he wondered if he would have the chance to see Johnny again…to have him explain why he felt the others were more important than he was.  He didn’t consider himself anything special, but the thought that the few times that they had spent together would want Johnny to get to know him more to be with him over the others.  It’s what he wanted.

“Daniel?”  A voice said breaking him from his thoughts.

He looked up to see a soft pair of warm hazel eyes looking back at him, curious.

“Yeah…hey…oh hey!  Bobby right?” 

“Yeah…how you doing, man?”  Bobby said extending his hand.  Daniel shook it and stood up. 

“Pretty good…just out here you know…hanging out.”

“Yeah…me too…I was out here jogging and thought I saw you.” 

Bobby was wearing nothing but a pair of jogging shorts.  They rode high, exposing a lot of thigh and calf.  He wore white socks that reached mid-calf with orange stripes around the trim and an old pair of sneakers for running along the beach. His chest was bare.  His wispy blonde hair framed his pretty boy face and Daniel couldn’t help but smile at the boy who had been friendly to him since they had met.

“Yeah…that’s cool.  You come out here a lot to jog?”

“I try to.  It helps me keep in shape.  Gotta be good on the mat” 

“So you’re into the karate thing too, huh...” 

“Yeah…we all are.”

Daniel’s eyes grew strained.  He remembered then that he was one of the people that Johnny had in his “circle of friends”.  He snorted.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing…I just remember I shouldn’t be talking to you.”

“What?  Why would you say that?”  


“Why don’t you go ask your friend, Johnny?”  He said crossly.  He didn’t know why he was getting angry.

“OH…so that’s it.  You have a crush on him.”

“What?!”  Daniel said, shocked.  He hadn’t thought he was that obvious.

“It’s no big deal man…seriously.”

“You sound like Jimmy.”

“Yeah…well really it’s not that big of a deal.”  Bobby took a seat beside him.

“I don’t know what it is with you guys, but I think it’s a huge deal…how can you do that…stuff?”

“What stuff is that?” 

“You know…just let him do things to you and he doesn’t love you.”

“Geeze, Daniel…you are naïve aren’t you?”

They both looked out at the ocean’s waves crashing violently to the shore.  Couples had begun to walk up and down the beach, holding hands and some children had stopped to build a sandcastle.  Daniel watched them not wanting to answer the other boy. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“S’ok…”

“Look…to be honest….I haven’t really tried to be all involved in that sort of thing.  I told them both from the start…Johnny and Dutch…that I didn’t want to be a part of things…like that.”

Daniel looked at him warily.  He didn’t trust Bobby…he barely had spoken two words to him, before this.

“It’s true!”

“Ok…so why do you hang around them?” 

“I dunno…they let me be me there.  Really, there are not a lot of boys like us around.” He looked at Daniel with meaning. 

“I like girls.”

“I like girls, too! But…”

Daniel stared at his feet digging into soft sand.  The sand was hot and just starting to feel uncomfortable on his bare feet.  “Yeah…I know.”

Bobby rested his head on his arms that were across his knees.  “Those guys took me in…no questions asked…somehow they knew.”

“Have you?”

“Have I what?  Have I ever?  Yeah…a couple of times.  Sometimes the situation is unavoidable…y’know?”

“But…?”  


“But I don’t make it a habit…I discipline myself.  I jog instead.  I want something more than what happens between those guys.  It gets hard at times, but at least I keep my dignity…and my sanity.”

Daniel looked at Bobby admiring his convictions instantly.  He smiled warmly at him.  Bobby smiled back, shy and pouty lipped.  “You wanna go for a run?”

“Sure that would be great!” 

Bobby hopped up, pulling Daniel up with him.  They gave each other five and took off running down the beach. 

They stayed out at the beach for a couple more hours before dragging themselves across the street to the food stands that had lined the roads.  Daniel offered to buy Bobby lunch, but he refused saying that he didn’t mind buying Daniel’s instead.  They had talked about a lot of things.  Where Daniel grew up, what his home life was like, how rich Bobby’s parents were.  What he was expecting to get for Christmas that year.  Daniel knew that Bobby wasn’t bragging, and just enjoyed listening to him talk in that easy-going soft-spoken way that he had. 

Eventually, they knew they both had to be heading back home.  They walked side-by-side, smiling and laughing at what they had seen along the beach and Bobby reached up to brush a lock of Daniel’s hair back into place. 

“You’re really pretty…you know…for a boy.”  He laughed nervously.

“Thanks!  But you’re one to talk…I don’t think I’ve seen anyone with eyes quite like yours.”  Daniel blushed slightly as he said that, not meaning for it to come out as flattering as it did.

“I’ve been told.”  Bobby said, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

“Look I gotta get over to the bus stop before the last bus leaves for the day.  They have a short schedule on Saturdays.” 

“That’s cool man…today was fun!”  They had reached the stop, just as Daniel’s bus was coming from the distance.

“Say…can I call you sometime?”

“Sure…that would be great!” 

“I don’t have a piece of paper!”   Bobby looked around.  He spotted an old lady with a big beach bag on her shoulder. 

“Excuse me ma’am do you have a pen?”

She handed him a pen just as Daniel was slowly getting on to the bus.

He told the bus driver to wait as Bobby quickly scribbled his home number on Daniel’s hand.  Daniel took the pen and did the same. 

“I’ll call you soon.”

“Great…talk to you later, Daniel.”  Bobby said smiling widely at the boy on the bus who was studying his hand. 

_I realize, I can see it in your eyes_ _  
You're moving on to something more_


	6. Youth - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some heart to heart talks with a Bobby go-between.
> 
> Chapter Song: Youth - Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fighting through the writer's block...GASP...yes!! Even The Empress gets it...OH NOES!! I hate it when that happens...but I fought the good fight and pushed that meanie away!
> 
> Hope you EMPjoy and again...I love kudos and comments!! Thank you, ALL for your continued support!!
> 
> Love to ALL my Cobra Sisters!!!

  
_Shadows settle on the place, that you left._  
_Our minds are troubled by the emptiness._  
_Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time._  
_From the perfect start to the finish line._

For the next few days, Daniel and Bobby saw a lot of each other.  Bobby would come to pick up Daniel at his apartment in his own car and they would go into town, to hang out and do the things that teenage boys did.  They both tried to look good for the ladies, flirting and smiling at anyone who would look their way, and there were a lot of them.  They had bet each other how many numbers they could get in one day.  Bobby liked to bet and Daniel liked the challenge.  

“How did you get one more number?”  Daniel said grabbing Bobby’s little black book.  “No see that one right there...she doesn’t count...I have her number too.”

“No way, LaRusso...I got it fair and square...after you walked away...I told her that you  already had a girlfriend...should have seen the look on her face.”  

“You’re an asshole...you know that right?!”  said laughing and chasing after Bobby after he ran off.

Daniel decided that he really enjoyed Bobby’s company.  He was so easy going and fun.  There was no drama around him.  He just liked to go places and hanging out at his house.  He liked the same music as Bobby did and they would listen to it in his room and talk for hours.  They eventually felt comfortable in telling each other anything.

He asked out of curiosity if he had seen Johnny lately.  Bobby looked at him for a moment before answering.

“Yeah...I’ve seen him around...I got training in the morning and he’s always there.  Sometimes we hang out after.”

Daniel looked at his feet.  He wanted to see him but didn’t know how to go about asking.  They were sitting in Bobby’s room on his bed.  It was normal and comfortable for them to be lying together propped up against one another.  Daniel played with Bobby’s fingers absentmindedly.  

“Does he like...you know...ever say anything about me?”

Bobby studied Daniel noting the blush that crept onto his face, the nervous way he fiddled with his fingers and the faraway look he got in his eyes.  Bobby tried not to let it affect him too much.  He figured if he kept it easy, Daniel would see that there were other people in this world that wanted to be something more to him.  “What does it matter, Daniel?”  He said frowning.

“Oh...it’s nothing...man...really...I was just wondering.”

“He doesn’t know we’ve been hanging out. He doesn’t say much about anything, but I can tell he’s been really out of it lately.”

“How so?”  Daniel couldn’t help but be concerned.  

“He’s just different.  Angry.  Restless.  Yesterday, he went too far on one of the Cobras and Sensei had to pull him off.”  Daniel listened his face growing serious.

“Have you talked to him?”  

“You know how it is with, Johnny.”   

“I want to help him.”

“Daniel…”

“Yeah Bobby I know…I know...it’s just I see something there...you know?”

“Did you know you were an eternal optimist?”  Bobby said rolling over on top of Daniel brushing hair away from his forehead. He smiled fondly at the boy underneath him.

“Yeah...I’ve been told.”

“Who’s telling you these things?  All of it’s going to your head, LaRusso.”  

“Well, my mentor, Mr. Miyagi has been saying that he sees a lot of potential and promise in me.”  

“What’s a Mr. Miyagi?”  Bobby asked, distracted by Daniel’s dimpled half smile and the way he was lightly rubbing up and down his back.

Daniel laughed.  He’s just a really cool guy that does maintenance at my apartments.  I’ve been visiting him on and off and he’s been teaching me about balance and focus.

Bobby’s hair fell into his eyes.  Daniel brushed it back.  “Thank you, Bobby.”

“What for?”

“I dunno...just for...being here...you know...listening and never judging...you know it’s funny...I never thought it’d be like this.”  Daniel kissed his forehead.

“Don’t get all sappy on me, LaRusso...you know how I feel about that shit.”  He sat up, pulling Daniel up next to him.  He felt peaceful.  He put his arm around Daniel’s shoulder.  “I’ll always be here for you.”  Bobby leaned in to kiss him and Daniel closed his eyes to the touch.  They kissed for a few seconds before pulling back.  

“Wow…”

“How was it?”

“I...I kinda liked it.”  Daniel said, resting his forehead against Bobby’s.  Bobby laughed softly and pat him on his leg.  “Well, maybe we can do that more often...if you want.”  He helped Daniel from the bed and walked with him to the door.  “Let’s get you home.”

The ride back to his apartment wasn’t awkward.  Both boys were lost in their own thoughts over what had happened.  Daniel cast glances over at the boy driving, smiling to himself.  He should be happy.  He watched buildings go by, the reflections on the glass.  

Bobby walked Daniel to his apartment door.  “So there’s this thing...next weekend.”  Bobby said leaning against the door frame.  

“Yeah...what’s up?”

“You wanna go with me?”

“Sure...man...whatever.”  

“It’s a party...but...only our crowd is invited…I thought...maybe it might be fun.”

“I can deal with that.”

“Great!”  Bobby grinned widely and paused.  

Daniel brought him in close and kissed him again.  It was languid and alluring and left him breathless when they parted.  “Wow…” was breathed for the second time that night.

Daniel smiled.  “Goodnight, Bobby.”

\------

_We are the reckless,_  
_We are the wild youth_  
_Chasing visions of our futures_  
_One day we'll reveal the truth_  
_That one will die before he gets there._

Johnny had been having a hell of a week.  There seemed to be no one around anymore.  Everytime, he wanted to see one of the Cobras for a little R & R they were gone.  No one wanted to go down to the beach.  No one wanted to hit the mall or the local arcade.  He felt like the world had shut him out.  He hated more than anything to be alone with his own thoughts.  They took him to dark places.  He even thought about cruising the night light district, just to push away some of the noise that had been eating away at his his brain.  

“C’mon man...pick up the phone.”

“Bobby here…”

“Bobby...where you been?  I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days!”

“Oh...hey, Johnny...I’ve been around.”

“That’s bullshit.  I’ve looked for you...after our sessions...you just disappear.”

“Yeah...well...I’ve just been busy...that’s all.”

“What could have you so busy you can’t make time for friends?”

“It’s nothing...what do you need, Johnny?”

“I thought you and I, you know...could spend some time together.  I’ve been missing you.”  There was a little squeak at the end of Johnny’s voice.

Bobby felt guilty.  But he also felt like not wanting to spend time with Johnny.  He had been the most reluctant at the beginning.  Johnny was handsome.  Johnny was charismatic.  He could charm the pants off of anyone.  He was very charming when he convinced Bobby that he should be a part of their group.  He had always made him feel special.  Nothing was weird until it became that way.  Soon he was demanding that they spend more time together and ordering him around.  Bobby had resented it at first, but Johnny explained to him that he had to keep the order in the group or whatever it was that they were doing would get out of line and that no one would understand the bond that they held.  He believed Johnny.  Johnny did take care of them after all.  

Now...Bobby was finding in Daniel a friend that he really wanted.  He was finally feeling what it was like to be in love and be respectful towards a person that was respectful in turn.  It wasn’t always about sex.  He had only kissed Daniel the first time the week before.  It was innocent and sweet and meant something to him.  He thought about him all the time.  

“Look, Johnny...I’m sorry...I’ve been out of it...lately...just not...feeling it you know?  Can I see you at the Black and White Party on Saturday?”

“Yeah...of course I’m gonna be there...we all are...I thought maybe you’d go with me.  I need someone pretty on my arm.”

“Heh...that’s flattering...I can’t though...I’m bringing someone else.”  He said hesitantly.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah...I kinda sorta already asked him.”

“Oh...well no problem...that’s cool.  I’ll probably be showing up with Dutch anyway.”  Johnny said deflecting.  “Anyone I know?”

Bobby avoided the question.  “Are you white or black?”  

“I’ll be an angel in white.”  Johnny laughed.

“You’re anything but...and you know it.”  Bobby snorted.

“You know you wouldn’t have me any other way.”

“Is everything ok with you?  I mean...you have anything you want to talk about, Johnny?”  Bobby said exhibiting his best traits.

“I dunno...I just...I guess I could really use a friend right now.  Been a pretty shitty week and I gotta lot of stuff on my mind.”

“Yeah...Tommy told me what happened the other day.  That wasn’t cool, Johnny.  You need to start considering people’s feelings.  You didn’t even apologize.”

“What...are you my mother all of the sudden?”  Johnny said, his voice raising.  

“No...I just mean...you gotta start thinking more with your head...And not that one.” He quickly added before Johnny could make a quip about which head was better to think with.

Johnny sighed.  “I just haven’t been feeling right since we met LaRusso at the beach a while back.  He’s really done something to my head.”

Bobby cleared his throat.  “Yeah. Have you tried talking to him?  Maybe he feels the same way?”  He set his mouth in a firm line.  He didn’t want to have to admit that Johnny felt the same way he did about Daniel but Daniel didn’t feel the same way about him.  Every time they talked, Johnny’s name was brought up.  It was hurting him.  He was living in denial.

“Hmmm..after what happened the last time I saw him, I don’t think that I really have much of a chance.”

“What did you do?”

“Will you meet me at the coffee shop on Ventura?  I really need to see you.”

“Sure...Johnny...I can never say no to you.”  Bobby sighed and hung up the phone.  

They sat facing each other in the crowded coffee shop.  Johnny had a latte and Bobby a Coke.  He didn’t care much for coffee.

“I really think I might have a thing for LaRusso…”  Johnny had said.  He pushed his cup around on the table.  It was hard for him to admit things like this to anyone.  Bobby listened silently.  He hadn't seen Johnny this vulnerable.

“Yeah...I’ve never seen you so preoccupied.”  

“What do I do?  I haven't been in this situation before.  I usually just take what I want.”  He sneered at Bobby, fighting back his urge to say something crude.  

“I think you’re finding you may have a heart in there somewhere...pretty boy.”  

“Watch it...I’ve always had one...just haven’t felt it in a while.”

“I’m gonna tell you something, Johnny...you’re probably not gonna like to hear it.” Bobby said, drinking down the rest of his coke in one gulp.  

“I know...I know where you’re going.  LaRusso told me the same thing.”

“Then why don’t you, Johnny...you have to consider someone else’s feelings and needs besides your own.”

“I just have needs.  I don’t think I can settle down with just one guy, even one that makes me feel the way he does.”

“You should really try to get to know him before you make that decision.”  Bobby said with a tear in his eye.  He stood up to leave.  

“Wait...where are you going?”

“I gotta go man...I…”

Johnny noticed that Bobby was getting upset.  “Hey...I’m sorry.  C’mere.  I know I have neglected you for a while.  I’m really sorry about Tommy too...I’m gonna tell him the next time I see him.”  Bobby allowed himself to be hugged.  Johnny smelled the clean ocean smell of his hair and brushed his lips along his forehead.   They stood in the middle of the coffee shop, not caring if people saw them or not.  

Bobby tensed and then relaxed. 

“You wanna go back to my place?”  

Bobby thought of Daniel but Johnny had him at a vulnerable spot.  He was feeling torn between two people who only cared about each other.  He started feeling those same unstable feelings he had thought he had put behind him.  He really just wanted to be held.  

“Sure...Johnny.  That sounds good.”

  
_And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones._  
_'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs._  
_Setting fire to our insides for fun_  
_Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong_  
_The lovers that went wrong._

  



	7. Youth - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a party going on...but revelations put a damper on the festivities. Daniel and Johnny meet after weeks of being apart. What will happen?? 
> 
> Chapter Song: Youth - Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think about one more chapter to go with this one!! This was a "fun" write because sometimes I like being a MEAN EMP!! I get a little mean in this one but not TOO bad...NO WORRIES PINKIE!!! Getting closer to the payoff...LOL!!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me on this!! I think it was pretty believable and pretty hawt at times. Got a bit of the HAWT left to go...*SPOILERS*
> 
> I need me some good chocolate-chip Kudos this time!! Empi has TEH FEELS!! Let me know whatcha think!!

_And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one_  
_'Cause most of us are bitter over someone_  
_Setting fire to our insides for fun_  
_To distract our hearts from ever missing them_  
_But I'm forever missing him_

 

“Daniel…”

“What?”  He said laughing and looking at himself in the three-way mirror in the men’s tailored suit store, _SuitFellas_.  He patted the suit so that it fell in all the right places.

“You look…”  Bobby was speechless.  He was standing, being fitted for his own tailor made black suit.  He was adjusting an all-black tie at his throat and looking at Daniel in the reflection of his own mirror. 

Daniel smiled.  He didn’t look half-bad…if he did say so himself.  His raven black hair complemented the suit and it made him feel dark and dangerous.  He noted that Bobby was nothing to not look twice at.  “You too…” he said shyly. 

Bobby came over to stand beside him looking at them both in the mirror. 

“Do you think we need a splash of white?”  Daniel said reaching for an ivory pocket square.

“No…I think you look perfect.”  He brushed his hands along Daniel’s shoulders, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles as an excuse to stand closer to him.  “I think we will knock them dead at the party tonight.”  He kissed Daniel on the cheek and watched him blush.  He wrapped his arms around Daniel from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder.  Daniel closed his eyes, enjoying the embrace.

“Thanks for doing this for me, Bobby.  I could never afford a suit like this in a million years.” 

“It’s ok, Daniel…you clean up real nice.”  He said laughing as Daniel elbowed him.

They spent the rest of the day getting the spa treatment.  Bobby took them to a manicurist and Daniel felt weird about it at first but then enjoyed getting his nails cleaned and buffed, a lot of the rough edges cleared up from years of biting them.  Bobby watched everything that was happening to him throughout the process.  Daniel was in awe.  He hadn’t experienced anything quite like this before.  It made Bobby happy to see him happy.

They had gotten their hair taken care of next.  The stylist gave Bobby the lightest and featheriest bangs that shaped his face and was light and bouncy to the touch.  He had decided to forgo the hairspray.  Bobby ran a hand through it and Daniel was impressed with how easily it moved.  His own was just as manageable. 

The stylist decided to gel it back and spike it up.  To him it looked messy…way out of its element…but the stylist said she wanted to try something new with his hair.  She had called it the “bed head”.  They had both laughed at that.  It did look like how he did when he woke up in the morning and now he’s paying a stylist to do that for him.  He shook his head. 

“I like it!”

“I look stupid…”

“Not even close.”  Bobby said taking his hand and kissing his nose.  “I think you look incredibly sexy.”

They walked out of the stylists holding hands and back to Bobby’s car.

“Daniel…I want to ask you something.”

“Sure, Bobby…what’s going on?”

“Well you think…maybe after the party tonight…maybe you and I could you know…” He felt foolish for asking.  He shouldn’t…but he knew Daniel was special.  He wasn’t like anyone he had known before.  He looked at him with blue eyes that had warmed a shade darker with meaning.

Daniel bit his bottom lip and held it.  He was thinking.  Bobby was a really good friend.  He trusted him.  He had no reason to doubt that he would do anything to hurt him.  Something still held him back. 

“I’m not sure...”

Bobby looked disappointed and looked down at his steering wheel. 

“I’m not saying I won’t…”  Daniel said putting his hand on the other boy’s. 

“Ok...” Bobby said with a sad smile.  He let the subject drop and they went back to Bobby’s house to get ready for the party.

\-----

They arrived at the house where the party was being held fashionably late.  Two beautiful boys in black made a hell of an entrance, as dozens of pairs of eyes turned in their direction when they walked in the room.  Daniel, feeling self-conscious, tugged at his jacket.  He was holding tightly to Bobby’s hand.  Bobby squeezed it, reassuringly.  “Everything is ok…don’t worry…you’re doing fine.”  His eyes were darting around the room.  He was nervous about other things. 

Daniel looked at the room.  He had never been to anything remotely like this in his short life.  There were many couples of boys and men all dressed in white and black and some in relative stages of undress, draped across couches and chaise lounges.  He swallowed hard as he watched them kissing and touching.  The Thompson Twins “Lay your hands” was playing loudly in the background creating a seductive mood in the room.  The lights were dimmed and a fire was sparkling in the fireplace creating an ambiance that made Daniel feel seductive.  Bobby was breathing evenly but a slight hitch caught as he continued to survey the room.  He was rubbing circles into Daniel’s palm as they watched a boy get carried away and climb on top of another one.  Daniel gulped and looked away, embarrassed.

“Come on…”  Bobby said pulling him to the middle of the room.  He wanted to dance.  He handed Daniel a flute of Champaign that was on a silver tray on top of an all-white grand piano.  “Drink this.  It will help you relax” He grabbed one himself and swallowed the alcohol quickly and it burned his nose.  He crinkled it and rubbed it, laughing.  Daniel did the same, noting that it tasted much better than the beer that was forced on him a couple of months ago.  He tried to push those images out of his mind.  The images of a golden-haired boy with hands on him that made his skin tingle and shiver with want.

 

Wham’s “I’m Your Man” started playing and the boys began to dance.  Daniel focused on the boy in front of him and began to have a good time.  So what if he never saw Johnny again.  He decided that he wasn’t being fair to Bobby.  He had been nothing but nice to him and he made him truly happy.  Lots of couples got out on to the wide space of the living room and began dancing to the upbeat song, singing and dancing close. 

Bobby was trying his best to keep up with Daniel.  He had to admit that the boy could dance.  He started to loosen up just a bit.  He knew it wouldn’t last long but he wanted to enjoy this calm before the storm. 

The storm happened to just begin brewing in the loft above.  A lot of action was happening in the VIP section.  There were boys taking hits off of joints being passed around and couples making out getting farther than they should in a public setting on the double king-sized beds that covered the expanse of the loft. 

A Flock of Seagull’s “Space Age Love Song” was up next and the party was getting in gear.  Johnny was just getting deeper into kissing the boy in front of him, pushing him harder against the wall.  Hands were deep in blonde hair but Dutch was not allowed to touch his in return.  They remained at Johnny’s sides as he pulled his hips closer to his own, their tongues twisting into each other’s mouths.  Dutch broke away gasping.  “It’s too much man…”

Johnny pulled back, his face splotched red, his breathing erratic, his chest rising and falling rapidly.  He quickly nudged foreheads with Dutch, coming down from a high place.  He breathed in the smell of marijuana and it was making his head swim and keeping his erection at bay.  He didn’t want to lose everything in one night.  He knew he’d be making someone scream his name before the evening was done. 

He stepped back, straightening his clothes.  He was dressed all in white like he had told Bobby earlier.  He had on a black button down, silk shirt and tie to set off the stark whiteness of his suit.  He pulled Dutch beside him who mirrored his outfit.  It had taken him almost two hours to get his blonde fringe just right across his forehead.  He went over to a mirror to check it, putting a few strands back in place.  Dutch was sweating, his blonde curls wet and perspiration on his lip.  He took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his lips. 

“You’re gonna need to handle this problem we got here, ASAP.  He said nodding pointedly at the obvious bulge in Johnny’s slacks as well as his own. 

“Yeah…later.”  He didn’t mind a little torture now and again.

Dutch growled in frustration and moved over to the railing over-looking the lower level.  His fierce eyes scanning the room.  He leaned against the rail, trying to will away the foggy haze in his brain. Johnny came to stand beside him.  His arms crossed.  He was looking for the other Cobra’s.  He knew that Jimmy and Bobby both said that they were coming, but he had not heard from Tommy in over a week.  If he didn’t see him tonight, he would find out where he had run off to and figure out what his problem was. 

He looked out over the sea of bodies.  There were a lot of people who had shown up to this thing.  He didn’t know hardly any of them except for the hosts who had put Johnny at the top of his list.  He was a young pretty boy that everyone wanted for his image to represent the kind of party they were throwing.  Johnny didn’t mind the attention. 

He thought he caught the sight of feathery dirty blond hair, moving rhythmically to the beat.  The lights were almost too dim to make out faces.  The ceiling spot lights in the loft room cast shadows into the crowd below.  Johnny lost sight but then caught it again.  It was Bobby…and he was smiling and batting eyelashes at someone standing next to him.  The Psychedelic Furs “Love My Way” was now on and he appeared to be chatting casually, brushing fingers down the side of the face of the dark-skinned boy standing next to him.  A dark-skinned boy with jet black hair…that looked an awful lot like…

"You gotta be kidding me.”

 

“Are you having fun?”  Bobby asked close to Daniel’s ear.  It was hard to hear in the room.  People were dancing almost on top of each other.  The room was one big undulation.  Daniel felt like a brand new person.  He wanted to touch and be a part of what was happening.  He had about four flutes of Champaign by this time and he was feeling very relaxed.  His forehead was resting against Bobby’s and he was playing with the buttons on his shirt. 

“Mmm…” He said in agreeance. 

Bobby wanted to throw caution to the wind and show them both just how much fun they could have He closed his eyes and breathed in Daniel’s scent.  The music and alcohol made him lose all sense of judgement.  He was pressed close against Daniel and Daniel closed his eyes swaying slowly with him to the music.

They were completely caught off guard when the shove came from out of nowhere.   It knocked Bobby completely to the ground.

“What the fuck…is going on here!”  Johnny said seething with rage.  His eyes flared blue fire and ice and he looked between the two boys, his eyes settling on Daniel’s.  He took in his appearance, noting the changes, liking what he saw, having to drag his eyes back to the boy trying to get up from the floor.  The people in the room stopped talking and turned their attention toward the drama unfolding in the middle of the floor.

“Johnny…what the hell, man?”

“That’s what I’d like to fucking know.  You go behind my back?  You betray me like this? After what I told you…What the hell are you doing, man?”

Daniel looked between the two boys but hadn’t much of an opportunity to respond when a pair of hands reached out and shoved him in the chest hard.

“You fucking slut…I knew you’d cause us nothing but trouble.”  Dutch was like an animal ready to attack.  Daniel brought his hands up.

“Dutch…back off.” He said hauling up Bobby to face him.  Bobby dusted off his suit and looked at Johnny with threatening eyes.

“You don’t know what’s going on here, Johnny.  You need to lay off of me.”

“You’re goddamn right I don’t know what’s going on here.”  He was in the shorter boy’s face.  His own face had become feral.  He was angrier than Bobby had ever seen him. 

“Hey…Johnny…calm down, man…ok?  Bobby hasn’t done nuthin’ wrong.”  Daniel said coming to Bobby’s defense. 

“Oh yeah??  What do you know about it, LaRusso?  Did you have your fun?  Did you do this to get back at me or something?  Did you do this to fuck with my head because you wouldn’t let me fuck with anything else?”

Daniel looked at him, hurt.  The argument was getting loud in the room and was becoming more embarrassing by the minute.

“Can’t we go talk about this somewhere else?”

“No…we’re going to settle this here once and for all.  But first I need to deal with traitors.” 

Without warning he backhanded Bobby to the floor.  Blood from Bobby’s nose spraying on to Johnny’s white suit. He went down to pick him up again, but Bobby countered with a punch to his sternum.  Dutch was immediately on him rushing him over to the far wall and slamming him hard against it.

“Stop it, Johnny.  Don’t hurt him!  I’ll talk…I’ll do whatever you want.  But it’s not Bobby’s fault.” 

“Ha…that’s rich.”  He laughed shaking his head.

“I mean it.  I don’t want you to hurt him.  He’s been more to me in this past month than you ever have.  He’s been my friend.  You couldn’t even apologize for being an asshole.  You could learn a lot from Bobby.” 

“Don’t tell me you grew feelings for his sorry ass?”  Johnny said stepping up to Daniel a perfect yin and yang of black on white. 

“I did.”  He said looking Johnny squarely in the eye, making Johnny’s eyes waver just a little with the conviction Daniel’s held. 

“You don’t mean it.”  Johnny said softening slightly.

“I do.  We are together.”  He said, meaning for his words to hurt.  He looked over to where Bobby was still being pinned to the wall.  Dutch’s fist cocked back waiting for the word to put the other boy out of his misery.  Daniel looked at Johnny.  “Tell him to let him go.”

Johnny looked back at Daniel and sneered. 

“Shows you how much you know about anything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Johnny…don’t.”  Bobby said pleading from his spot on the wall.

“Why don’t you ask your boyfriend where he was two nights ago?” Johnny said straightening his suit and looking back at Bobby with the most evil smile he could muster.

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Daniel said hesitating. 

“Why...didn’t he tell you?”  He said smirking between the pair.  He stepped even closer into Daniel’s personal space making Daniel swallow hard at his overpowering presence. Bobby jumped forward then trying to get at Johnny, but Dutch held him back and cracked a wide smile.  “You asked for it.”

“Ask your boyfriend how it felt having me deep inside of him grinding him hard into my mattress. Ask him how many times he said my name as I gave it to him until he couldn’t say it anymore.”

“You bastard.” 

Daniel looked over at Bobby who was straining against Dutch.  He was trying hard to break out of his grasp.  He wanted to wipe the smirk off of Johnny’s face and paint the rest of his white suit red with his blood.  Daniel’s eyes watered with burning tears.  “Is that…true?”

“Daniel…I…”

“Just tell me…is it true?”

Bobby stopped fighting Dutch, he relaxed stepping back, defeated.  “Yes…it’s true….but it’s only because…”

“Save it…just….”  He looked at Johnny who was no longer looking smugly but was studying Daniel, immediately guilty for hurting him.  He was just angry.  He didn’t like the look that was on his face now.  It hurt him to his core.

“I never…ever should have met you…any of you.”  He said saving his most heartbreaking look for Johnny…because despite of his admission he thought somewhere in the most naïve delusional part of his mind that Johnny would have tried a little harder to win him.  To keep him for his own.  To want him.  It made him admit to himself that maybe he was using Bobby to get him there, but Bobby had used him in return.  This was all kinds of fucked up.

One last sad look to Bobby who had tears on his lashes and Daniel ran from the house.  He had to get away.  He needed to run away from it all.  He didn’t want to be a part of any of this anymore.

“Daniel…”  Johnny said taking off after him.

Bobby and Dutch stood there, mouths agape.  They along with everyone else in the room watched him chase after the raven-haired boy whose soul hung in the balance and was doing everything he could to save it.

 _Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette_  
_A lifeless face that you'll soon forget_  
_My eyes are damp from the words you left_  
_Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest_  
_Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest_

_And you caused it_


	8. Bang My Head Against The Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you’re forced to make a choice  
> See the bet, raise the bet or fold  
> Some may say it’s the same in love  
> Like banging your head against the wall.
> 
> Song for Chapter: Bang Your Head Against the Wall - David Guetta ft. Sia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's the end of this one, Ladies!!! Whew!! This was an AWESOME challenge for me...and I DID IT!!! Another one under the belt!!! Thanks for coming along on this journey!! I Forevery and Always APPRECIATE all of the support from my WONDERFUL Readers!!! I hope I didn't disappoint!!! 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments below!! I THINK you ALL are the VERY BEST Cobra Sisters a Cobra Empi could have!! MUCH LOVE and GOLD STARS all around!!
> 
> The face claim of Babbette was EMPspired by The EVER LOVERLY LadyDisdain!!! Thank you mah friend!!! I can TOTALLY see Tommy all dolled up this way!! We all need help!! LOL!!!

 

_I was bound, was tired_  
_Hadn't seen a light so long_  
_Thought I lost my fight_  
_Couldn't find my way back home_  
_And I felt the light stepping out of me_  
_I was bound, and tired_  
_Waiting for daylight (Daylight daylight, and I)_

 

_“Did you fuck him?”_

_“Did. You. Fuck…Him?”_

Johnny rushed out of the house after Daniel.  It had grown darker outside the full moon hanging low in the sky.  He could only make out shadows and since Daniel had been wearing all black, it made it difficult for him to distinguish form and shape.  He saw movement up ahead and made his way towards it.  He found Daniel at the edge of the driveway, pacing. 

Daniel didn’t know where to go.  He had no idea where he was.  All he could see were a couple rows of cars and none of them were familiar to him.  What would he do if he did recognize one?  Bobby drove him here and that meant he would have to get a ride home from him.  He didn’t want to think about that.  “Why…?”  He said softly.  He was shaking from being lied to again.  He was shaking from feeling used.  He didn’t think that relationships were supposed to feel this way.  If it was then you could count him out.  He didn’t want this anymore.  It hurt too damn much.   He turned to see Johnny approaching him.  He set his mouth in a firm line and walked quickly away in the opposite direction.  He didn’t care where he went.  He’d figure it out later.

“Daniel…stop!”  Johnny said moving faster.  Daniel was becoming one with the shadows.  He was walking down the road and Johnny almost had to run to catch up to him.

He got close enough to grab him by the arm and spin him around.  “Don’t run from me!” 

Daniel looked at him in near disgust.  “Don’t tell me what to do!  I just wanna go home…this is just…too much, man!”

“You’re not going anywhere until we settle this!” Johnny said tightening his grip on Daniel’s arm.  Daniel had been trying to pull himself away, but Johnny was stronger.  He didn’t have much of a choice but to stand there and hear him out.

“You came here to fuck with me tonight…didn’t you?”

Daniel looked at him.  The moon and a couple of lampposts at the end of the driveway was the only light source.  Johnny could barely see his face, but he could see the disappointment clearly written on it. 

“Answer me!”

Daniel sighed.  “I wanted to see you.”

“So you thought the best way to do that was to come here with him…when you know how I’d react?”

Daniel said nothing.  He looked down at his feet.

Johnny shoved him.  “I’m not asking you again…ANSWER ME!”

“At least I got a response out of you!”  Daniel said snapping back at him.  “But what the hell difference does it make?  You’re out screwing everything that moves!  What makes me so goddamn special??”

Daniel jerked his arm away and started walking again.  He untucked his shirt from his pants and pulled off his jacket.  Everything was becoming too constricted, too confining.  He was getting beyond pissed.  He wasn’t afraid of taking it out on Johnny.  He wanted to keep a calm and cool head though.  He figured that would be the best way to handle this situation.  Someone had to be the rational one.  He just wanted to go home and cry.  Life really was unfair at times.  But he’d be damned if he let Johnny see him do that.  He’d already done his damage.

A growl behind him and he was once again grabbed and whipped around.  Johnny pulled him close and he was unable to move out of his grasp.  “Let me go.”

“If I want to take you…I will.”  His confident arrogance written clearly on his face.  Johnny had the audacity to feel that he was the one who was put out. “You are the most frustrating piece of man-bitch that I’ve ever fucked with.  You virgin prude…flaunting that ass all over the place then playing the ‘goody-two shoes’ act when someone goes for it."

 As he spoke, he shook Daniel like a rag-doll.  Daniel let him rage in his face.  He was incredibly hurt by Johnny’s words.  When Johnny stopped yelling and stood there, breathing hard, his hands still clutched at Daniel’s shirt looking fiercely into his eyes, Daniel narrowed his eyes back.  He wanted to let Johnny see that he wasn’t going to get under his skin. 

“Fuck you…Johnny.”

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.”

“You know what…I liked you a lot…I really tried to show you how much.  If you had given me time, I would have made this easier on the both of us.  But now you’re gonna learn the hard way that it’s really not cool to fuck with me.  Now you’re gonna pay.  You want me to fuck you, you got it!” 

He grabbed Daniel by the back of his neck and began hauling him over to his car, slamming his back hard against it.  Daniel allowed himself to be drug along, he couldn’t fight against Johnny if he tried.  He put up a mild resistance but he had never seen Johnny this angry before.

He remained silent, just watching as Johnny paced in front of him, trying to come to a decision. He pulled himself up as close to Daniel as he could…his breath ghosting on his lips.  This was not going according to any plan that he had wanted to happen between the two of him but he was helpless to sort out his feelings in any way but aggression.  Daniel was making him ache to the point of being painful.  He stared into Daniel’s eyes looking for the return of feeling.  It pissed him off that he just looked back at him.  Calm.  Unmoved. Detached.  Hollow inside.  He wanted to jolt a response out of him.  He scowled and grabbed a handful of hair at the back of Daniel’s head, pulling it back roughly forcing him to look him in the eye.

Daniel smiled an ‘I-know-what-buttons-to-press-and-I’ve-pressed-them-all’ smile and still refused to speak or even hiss at the pain that was tingling his scalp. 

“Wipe that smug shit off of your face…right now.”  Johnny growled.  He shook Daniel’s head back and forth.  Daniel frowned back. 

“Why don’t you make me?” He continued to poke the bear.

Before he could get the word ‘me’ out of his mouth he was slapped across the face the force of the blow causing his head to snap back.  He brought his face back level to Johnny’s, a thin trail of blood dripping from his lip.   He smiled again.  “That’s the second person you’ve physically hurt with all your bullshit.  How many more are you going to wind up hurting before you’re left alone with no one left to defend your actions?”

“Fuck it.”  Johnny said wrenching Daniel’s head back and latched himself on to the smooth column of Daniel’s neck.  If he was going to be lectured and thrown of his pedestal he might as well make it worth everyone’s while.  He didn’t want to have to face the realization that Daniel was right. If he was right he wasn’t going to admit it.  He was going to make this holy little virgin just as dirty as he was before the night was over. He bit down hard on the sinewy tendon that pulsed when his neck was stretched. 

Daniel hissed and tried to pull his head away as Johnny sucked down hard on the bite he created.  His veins thrummed as his heart reacted to the pleasure-pain that sang involuntarily through them.  Johnny pulled away with a wet sucking sound.  “Are you going to play nice?  Come to your senses?”

“I’m not going to let you take advantage of me.”  Daniel said swallowing hard, trying to control his breathing. 

“I see you need more convincing.”  Johnny said bringing his mouth close again and blowing on the spot that had left bite marks.  He closed his eyes and put his lips to the mark, kissing it slow and seductively licking the spot with quick little licks teasing the bite.  Daniel hissed again but stood still. 

Johnny laved at it soothing the spot with his tongue but before it felt too good, returned to sucking hard at it, knowing it would be purple and huge in the morning.  He smiled at Daniel’s neck with the thought.

Daniel refused to close his eyes despite how good it was starting to feel.  He was starting to move underneath Johnny’s body, ever-so-slightly.

“You know you like this. Stop being so damn stubborn.”  He said mouthing against the spot on his neck moving his way up to Daniel’s earlobe.  He tugged sharply on his earlobe and Daniel arched his neck involuntarily closer to Johnny’s mouth.  Johnny smiled, nibbling on his earlobe sucking on it, gently.  He eased his hold on Daniel’s hair but kept his hand there, feeling the thickness of it, massaging the pain he had caused away.  He moved his lips back over the spot on his neck, teasing circles around it and blowing cool air to soothe him.

He couldn’t be certain but he was sure he felt fingers in his own hair now as Daniel’s had somehow found their way there.  He felt Daniel’s chest rising and falling erratically. 

“Tell me you like this.”  Johnny moaned against his neck. 

Daniel swallowed hard, and Johnny felt it at his neck.  His brain was becoming numb to all thought.  “Say it.”  Johnny said, still demanding him to obey.  He stopped his attentions and looked back at Daniel’s now lust-filled gaze.  He still refused to relent.

“Get the fuck in the car…now.”

“No.”

“That was not an option…you will do as I say!”

Johnny grabbed Daniel by the upper arm and opened the car door.  He shoved him inside.  Daniel struggled against him, but was tossed into the passenger seat.  He put his hand to his burning lip.  It was stinging and bleeding down the corner of his mouth.  He put his hand to the stinging bite mark at his neck.  Johnny marched around the car to the driver’s side.  He yanked his door open and got in.  This was the first time Daniel actually felt afraid. 

Johnny started the engine up and it roared to life, matching his pissed mood.  He turned to see Daniel huddled at the side of his door, fumbling for the handle.  He grabbed him by the shirt collar yanking him back over to his face.  “Don’t even think about trying to leave.”

To prove his point, he mashed his lips hard against Daniel’s mouth forcing his tongue in to claim Daniel’s.  He kissed him hard and Daniel resisted by pushing his neck back, trying to break the hold.  Johnny held him there kissing him deeper until Daniel realized he was getting nowhere and stopped the fight, relaxing into his hold.  He let Johnny bite and nip and suck at the cut on his lower lip, causing him to wince at the renewed pain.  He felt as if his face was being gnawed off.

“That hurts.” He said around the kisses. 

“Then stop fighting me.”

“I’ll stop fighting you…if you stop punishing me.  I want to talk to you.  I’m not going to talk to an animal.  You decide if that’s something you’re interested in.  Until then fuck off and try to take what you want. I won’t make it easy.”

_Bang my head against the wall_  
_Though I felt light headed, now I know I will not fall_  
_I will rise above it all_  
_Found what I was searching for_  
_Though I felt light headed_  
_I should have failed, and nailed the floor_  
_Instead I rose above it all_

 

They drove.  In silence Daniel watched the city lights pass them by in the reflection of the glass.  Johnny rhythmically drumming his fingers against the steering wheel of his car.  He flicked on the radio, quickly and Pat Benatar’s ‘Heart Breaker’ blared through the speakers.  It was hitting too close to home and he clicked the radio off preferring to ride in silence.  He was keyed up and still not calmed down.  He had relented with an exhaled breath that he would consider talking to Daniel as long as his patience had allowed him to.  He was really running out of options the way the path was taking them when they started this whole thing.  He was a step away from crossing the point of no return.  He was going to karate kick Daniel into next week if he didn’t cut his shit soon.  He just needed to convince him some sort of way that he was running on empty and that Daniel was messing his head up so bad he didn’t know how he would ever straighten it out. 

Buildings gave way to trees which gave way to sand.  Daniel was starting to recognize where they were heading.  He looked over to the boy in the driver’s seat and studied his profile.  Even though he was frowning and anxious, he felt Johnny’s intentions shining through underneath his skin.  They were going back to the place where everything started.  Straws to grasp on to but Daniel didn’t let the fact slip that Johnny wanted to return to happier times.  He watched as they pulled up into the parking spot overlooking the stretch of beach where they had first met.

Johnny cut the engine and just sat there, staring out of the windshield.  The full moon hung over the calm ocean.  It was large and luminous lighting up the night sky along with millions of twinkling stars.  The city lights did not reach this far out so the stars stretched on into infinity.  It was beautiful blue light on black ocean, casting pale shadows on Johnny’s face.  Daniel waited until Johnny spoke first.  He could wait him out. 

“Did you fuck him?”  he said quietly…not facing Daniel, continuing to look out at the ocean.

Daniel sighed. He looked down at his hands folded in his lap.  He brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.  He was getting a real headache. 

“Is it that important to you, if I did or didn’t?”

“I wouldn’t be giving this much of a shit about this if it wasn’t.” 

“Gee…you make me feel so special.”

“I thought we were gonna talk.”

“Why is it so important if he did…if I did…if I even considered it?”

“Because I think you should know by now, how I feel about you.”

“What??  Are you kidding me?  Please tell me you’re not serious.”  Daniel said turning to face him. 

Johnny ground his teeth together.  “You’re really something you know that?  You waltz your way into my life and you expect all that I am to come screeching to blinding halt just because you’re like in love with me or something…I’ve had what I’ve wanted from any place I’ve wanted to get it for so long.  How can you honestly think that you were anything different?  How could you possibly know that I can’t sleep at night because your ass keeps tormenting me with your noble need for respect…to be treated different?”

“You’re in love with me.”  He stated it as a fact, not a question.

Johnny looked at him torn between wanting to punch him and wanting to hug all the hurt away he had caused.  He whined in the back of his throat in frustration.  He threw his car door open and got out.  He shed his jacket and loosened his tie removing it, tossing it away as he walked off toward the beach. 

Daniel, as relentless as he always was, hopped out of the car and immediately ran to catch up to him.

“That’s it…isn’t it?  Say it Johnny.  Admit it to me.  You’re in love with me…and it scares you to be with only one person.  Only one that has so much love in return to give to you.  You don’t feel worthy of it…look at me!”   He stopped and waiting for Johnny to stop and look back at him.

“Did you fuck him?”  He asked again….the thoughts of the two of them together eating at his brain.  He would be willing to wash away years of past iniquities if Daniel would answer the question.  Was he still pure for him?  Was he still innocent?

“Damn it, Johnny!”  He said breathing hard.  He kicked off his shoes that were becoming mired in the wet sand.  “What would you do if I said yes? Does that somehow change me in your mind?  Would you still want me?  Tell me now…would you change for me…would you stay with me?  Would you only be with me, even if I said yes?”

“Please…Daniel…did you?”  Tears were starting to fall from blonde lashes.  Daniel could see them shining in the moonlight.

“No…I didn’t…nothing happened!” Daniel said, coming clean.  He had a heart. He didn’t want to put Johnny through the suffering he should never have to go through. Even if he never realized the error of his own ways, Daniel loved him too much to make him hurt. 

A strangled cry at his throat and Daniel was embraced by a strong pair of arms, a face buried deep into his neck.  Johnny hugged him until he was becoming breathless he lifted him off of his feet squeezing tighter.

Daniel put his hands on Johnny’s forearms and laughed.  “Put me down!” 

Johnny set him down and looked at him, his eyes so full of emotion…tears swimming there reflecting the ocean behind him. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“I make no promises.”  Daniel said as he watched Johnny begin to undo the buttons on his shirt. He inhaled a sharp intake of breath as Johnny nibbled onto his clavicle. 

“Is this all you think about?”

“Always.”

“What am I going to do with you?”

“I don’t know…but if I’m only going to be yours…you’re going to do any awful lot with me.  I can promise you that.”

“You better get started now, then…” 

Johnny kissed his way back up to Daniel’s lips.  Daniel closed his eyes, finally giving in to the delicious sensations of Johnny’s mouth and tongue kissing him soft, slow, tenderly and lovingly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Johnny’s shoulders and they kissed as the waves lapped at their feet.  Black on white.  White on black.  Until all colors were melted into one.

The next day, Daniel staggered back to Johnny’s car, disheveled. He held his shirt over his shoulder by one finger.  He had sand falling out of places that he never imagined would be found.  Johnny came up behind him shaking off like a sandy dog.  He was naked from the waist up as well, his perfectly styled hair, all over the place messy and teased. He stopped Daniel before reaching the car, planting kisses on his spine. 

“You were amazing.  Everything I could want.”

“Just remember…you belong to me.” 

“Always.” Johnny said smiling and holding the car door open for Daniel.  The beach kept all of their secrets hidden within the grains of sand and the ocean waves.

 

\---------------------

“Ladies and Gentlemen….please welcome to the stage….The Incredible Babbette!!!” 

The curtains opened revealing a fishnet stockinged leg and red stiletto to a chorus of hoots and hollering from the audience.  Pumping new wave, synth pop music and flashing lights all around the runway and Tommy strutted down the runway, bright red wig, lips plastered with candy apple red lipstick,  sassy personified swinging a red feather boa behind him. 

Erasure’s ‘Who Needs Love Like that’, was blaring through the loud speakers as Babbette strut her stuff and made faces at all of the patrons.  She was in her element and she was free.  There was no turning back. 

She lip-synced to the chorus and turned, kicking her leg up behind her and strut back off the stage. 

The crowd went wild.

 

 

 _When you think you're giving up, just know_  
_You might think you're dying but you won't_  
_And you feel the life stepping out of you_  
_But when you think of giving up, don't (Oh)_

 _Bang my head against the wall_  
_Though I feel light headed, now I know I will not fall_


End file.
